What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Myrtillus Bud Extract
Antioxidant
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isoceteth-20
EmulsifyingSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialThymus Vulgaris Extract
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Bud Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Isoceteth-20, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Pvp, Chlorphenesin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract, Glycerin, Benzoic Acid, Acer Saccharum Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
