What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialGlycerin
HumectantMethyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantBetaine
HumectantMethylparaben
PreservativeCyclodextrin
AbsorbentPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Metaphosphate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
MaskingPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Chloride
PCA
HumectantCalcium Chloride
AstringentWater, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-10, Dipropylene Glycol, Betaine, Methylparaben, Cyclodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Metaphosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, Parfum, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Hydroxide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine Hcl, Magnesium Chloride, PCA, Calcium Chloride
Carnitine
CleansingAminobutyric Acid
Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialSorbitol
HumectantPolianthes Tuberosa Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantCyclomethicone
EmollientPEG-80
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantEthyl Glucoside
HumectantMethyl/Phenyl Polysilsesquioxane
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-40
HumectantPolyvinylalcohol Crosspolymer
Sorbitan Palmitate
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientPolyhydroxybutyrate
AbrasiveHydrolyzed Conchiolin Protein
Skin ConditioningAlgae Extract
EmollientPalmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingPrunus Armeniaca Seed Powder
AbrasiveSoluble Collagen
HumectantEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentDioscorea Opposita Root Extract
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingMarrow Extract
Skin ConditioningRoyal Jelly Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium EDTA
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingMethylserine
Skin ConditioningGlucosamine
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingCholesterol
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningCarnitine, Aminobutyric Acid, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Water, Alcohol Denat., Sorbitol, Polianthes Tuberosa Polysaccharide, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclomethicone, PEG-80, Butylene Glycol, Ethyl Glucoside, Methyl/Phenyl Polysilsesquioxane, Potassium Hydroxide, PEG-40, Polyvinylalcohol Crosspolymer, Sorbitan Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Polyhydroxybutyrate, Hydrolyzed Conchiolin Protein, Algae Extract, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Seed Powder, Soluble Collagen, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Dioscorea Opposita Root Extract, Niacinamide, Marrow Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Tetrasodium EDTA, Yeast Extract, Parfum, Methylserine, Glucosamine, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Carotene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.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 GlycolDipropylene 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 GlycolGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideSodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water