What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPotassium PCA
Humectant
Magnesium PCA
Humectant
Calcium PCA
Humectant
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Quercetin
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24
EmulsifyingPelargonium Graveolens Extract
Masking
Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Glycine
Buffering
Threonine
Alanine
Masking
Valine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Lysine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Water, Oryza Sativa Extract, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Polyglutamic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sphingolipids, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Potassium PCA, Magnesium PCA, Calcium PCA, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Lecithin, Arginine, Quercetin, Phytosphingosine, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Xanthan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Adenosine, Sodium Lactate, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24, Pelargonium Graveolens Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Bisabolol, Glycine, Threonine, Alanine, Valine, Leucine, Proline, Lysine, Histidine, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Glycerin
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Sodium Polyglutamate
HumectantPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Succinic Acid
BufferingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Leontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAlgin
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zinc Oxide, Glycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Sodium Polyglutamate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Succinic Acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Maltodextrin, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phospholipids, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Algin, Potassium Sorbate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolChondrus Crispus Extract comes from a red algae native to the northern Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. It helps hydrate the skin and is rich in antioxidants.
The antioxidants in chondrus crispus include lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein has the ability to filter blue light from screens.
Other contents of chondrus crispus include polysaccharides, peptides, and amino acids. These help hydrate the skin.
What's the difference between algae and seaweed?
Algae is a broad term that includes seaweed. Not all algae is seaweed.
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 GlycerinPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilPhenoxyethanol 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
