What's inside
What's inside
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 ConditioningIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxystearyl Glucoside
Hydrolyzed Candida Saitoana Extract
Skin ProtectingSorbitol
Humectant
Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Salvia Officinalis Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Hydroxystearyl Alcohol
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydroxystearyl Glucoside, Hydrolyzed Candida Saitoana Extract, Sorbitol, Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Salvia Officinalis Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Hydroxystearyl Alcohol, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Sodium Phytate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 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
