What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Nylon-12
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingHydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Propylene Carbonate
SolventDisodium EDTA
Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingLinalool
Perfuming
Isobutane
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Cholesterol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ceramide NP, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Sodium Polyacrylate, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Nylon-12, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Propylene Carbonate, Disodium EDTA, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer, Adenosine, Dipropylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, T-Butyl Alcohol, Mentha Piperita Oil, Sodium Citrate, Linalool, Isobutane, Ceramide EOP, BHT, Tocopherol, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAllium Fistulosum Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingOlea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingWater, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Cyclohexasiloxane, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Allium Fistulosum Bulb Extract, Arachidyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Beeswax, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cyclomethicone, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, PEG-100 Stearate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Phytosphingosine, Phytosterols, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Triethanolamine
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCaprylyl 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 GlycolDisodium 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 GlycerinHydrogenated Polyisobutene is a synthetic polymer. Polymers are compounds with high molecular weight. Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is an emollient and texture enhancer.
In one study, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene showed better skin hydration levels than Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride. As an emollient, it helps keep your skin soft and hydrated by trapping moisture in.
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is often used as a mineral oil replacement.
Learn more about Hydrogenated PolyisobutenePhenoxyethanol 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
