What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningVegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Cetearyl Olivate
Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetyl Stearate
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSqualene
Emollient
Salinicoccus Lysate Filtrate
Skin ConditioningCucurbita Pepo Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Amylopectin
Cucurbita Maxima Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Acetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningPolydextrose
HumectantDextrin
AbsorbentBacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Folic Acid
Skin ConditioningBacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Oligopeptide-3
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Carbonate
SolventPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Vegetable Oil, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycolic Acid, Cetearyl Olivate, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Propanediol, Cetyl Stearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Betaine, Xanthan Gum, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Squalene, Salinicoccus Lysate Filtrate, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract, Urea, Amylopectin, Cucurbita Maxima Fruit Extract, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Lecithin, Acetyl Glutamine, Polydextrose, Dextrin, Bacillus Ferment, Phytosterols, Folic Acid, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Oligopeptide-2, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexapeptide-11, Oligopeptide-1, Oligopeptide-3, Propylene Carbonate, Potassium Sorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tromethamine
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMenthoxypropanediol
Masking
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract
MaskingOpuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOrchid Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Tromethamine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Menthoxypropanediol, Madecassoside, Glycerin, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Orchid Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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
