What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientTriethanolamine
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePanthenol
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin ConditioningGinkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningAlgae Extract
EmollientPrunus Cerasus Fruit Extract
AntioxidantPrunus Cerasus Extract
AntioxidantFagus Sylvatica Bud Extract
TonicLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingMentha Piperita Extract
CleansingChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Triethanolamine, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Algae Extract, Prunus Cerasus Fruit Extract, Prunus Cerasus Extract, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Linalool, Mentha Piperita Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetearyl Isononanoate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSteareth-20
CleansingSafflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin ProtectingOpuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningArabidopsis Thaliana Extract
AntioxidantMarrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ProtectingLeontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantMicrococcus Lysate
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingLactose
HumectantGalactoarabinan
Lecithin
EmollientSchizophyllan
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCellulose
AbsorbentMaltodextrin
AbsorbentC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingParfum
MaskingCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantLimonene
PerfumingWater, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Micrococcus Lysate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Lactose, Galactoarabinan, Lecithin, Schizophyllan, Beta-Glucan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Cellulose, Maltodextrin, C14-22 Alcohols, Cetearyl Glucoside, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, CI 77007, Limonene
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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