What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyester-5
Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Algae Extract
EmollientBifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-2 Oleate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGentiana Scabra Extract
HumectantWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polyester-5, Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Algae Extract, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Octyldodeceth-16, Polyglyceryl-2 Oleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract, Gentiana Scabra Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Acrylates/Polytrimethylsiloxymethacrylate Copolymer
Skin ConditioningDivinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Persica Flower Extract
MoisturisingC12-13 Pareth-23
CleansingC12-13 Pareth-3
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Laureth-1 Phosphate
SurfactantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingIsoceteth-10
EmulsifyingTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Acrylates/Polytrimethylsiloxymethacrylate Copolymer, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Prunus Persica Flower Extract, C12-13 Pareth-23, C12-13 Pareth-3, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Silica, Citric Acid, Laureth-1 Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Isoceteth-10, Trideceth-12
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
