What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCoix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningGentiana Lutea Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Inula Britannica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMelothria Heterophylla Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingPolyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Rapeseed Glycerides
EmulsifyingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingPEG-8
HumectantPolyacrylamide
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate
CleansingSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Squalane, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Inula Britannica Flower Extract, Melothria Heterophylla Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Cellulose Gum, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Phosphate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Glycerides, Laureth-7, PEG-8, Polyacrylamide, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Sorbitan Stearate, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Α-Olefin Oligomer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate
C12-13 Alkyl Glyceryl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Α-Olefin Oligomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Triethylhexanoin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate, C12-13 Alkyl Glyceryl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide, Butylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Arginine, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Cetyl Phosphate, Propanediol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
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 GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene 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 GlycerinWater. 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
