What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Coco-Betaine, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
Surfactant
Triethanolamine
BufferingPolyquaternium-10
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Laureth-13 Carboxylate
CleansingPEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Water, Gluconolactone, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Triethanolamine, Polyquaternium-10, Propylene Glycol, Panthenol, Glycine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Laureth-13 Carboxylate, PEG-150 Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Phenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPropylene 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 GlycolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
