What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethylhexyl Trimellitate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer
Phenyl Methicone
Emollient
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Bis-Isobutyl PEG/PPG-10/7/Dimethicone Copolymer
Emulsifying
Polystyrene
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium Succinate
MaskingSuccinic Acid
BufferingPolyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Nitrate
SoothingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingGlyoxal
Antimicrobial
Acetone
SolventDisodium Phosphate
BufferingWater, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Triethylhexyl Trimellitate, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Phenyl Methicone, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Ceramide NP, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Bis-Isobutyl PEG/PPG-10/7/Dimethicone Copolymer, Polystyrene, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium Succinate, Succinic Acid, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Nitrate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Glyoxal, Acetone, Disodium Phosphate
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Silica
Abrasive
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Hexyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Acrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, Silica, Dimethicone, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Hexyl Dimethicone, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Butylene Glycol, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Lauroyl Lysine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrolyzed Collagen
Reviews
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 GlycolCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDimethicone 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 DimethiconeThis ingredient is also known as Octinoxate and is one of the oldest and most widely used chemical UV filters in skincare.
It has a simple job: soap up UVB radiation (290-320 nm), the wavelengths responsible for sunburn and a big chunk of long-term sun damage.
In formulas, it's always paired with a separate UVA filter because octinoxate solely protects skin from UVB.
Because it's an oil-soluble liquid, it's easy to blend into the oil phase of lotions/creams and gives a cosmetically elegant feel.
The one quirk about formulating this ingredient is photostability; the molecule slowly changes shape into a less effective version when sunlight hits it. So the longer you're in the sun, the weaker its protection gets. The drop can be more than 30% in some formulas.
It also doesn't play nice with Avobenzone (the common UVA filter) since avobenzone destabilizes octinoxate and the two degrade each other. But don't worry: brands have solved this issue by adding photostabilizers like Tinosorb S to prevent degradation and keep SPF stable under heavy UV exposure.
The maximum allowed level is 10% in the EU and Australia, 7.5% in the US and Canada, and 20% in Japan.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics up to 10%.
One last thing worth knowing for context:
Octinoxate has been the subject of ongoing review in Europe where the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety's (SCCS) 2025 final opinion is that this ingredient is an endocrine-active substance.
Lab and animal studies suggest it can act a bit like a hormone in the body (mildly mimicking estrogen and slightly blocking male hormones). It's important to know this hasn't really been shown to happen in everyday human use.
This ingredient is also banned in Hawaii over coral reef concerns.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl MethoxycinnamateWater. 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
