What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Human Neonatal Fibroblast Conditioned Media
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-7 Triacetate
EmollientShea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantLactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Whey Protein
Skin ConditioningChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Dimer Tripeptide-43
Vitis Vinifera Flower Cell Extract
MaskingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Pullulan
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Pentylene Glycol, Human Neonatal Fibroblast Conditioned Media, Glycereth-7 Triacetate, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Whey Protein, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Dimer Tripeptide-43, Vitis Vinifera Flower Cell Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Sclerotium Gum, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Lecithin, Pullulan, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 20, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
PPG-3 Dipivalate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientMyristyl Myristate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Silica
Abrasive
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Potassium Methoxysalicylate
BleachingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isohexadecane
EmollientParfum
Masking
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingTrisodium EDTA
Erythritol
Humectant
PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningPEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSuccinoglycan
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Metaphosphate
BufferingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantAngelica Acutiloba Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Lamium Album Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCellulose
Absorbent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Inositol
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantZiziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., PPG-3 Dipivalate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Myristyl Myristate, PEG-100 Stearate, Silica, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Potassium Methoxysalicylate, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Isohexadecane, Parfum, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Tristearate, Trisodium EDTA, Erythritol, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Sodium Citrate, Succinoglycan, Alcohol, Sorbitan Oleate, Caffeine, Citric Acid, Sodium Metaphosphate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Tocopherol, Linalool, Citronellol, Sodium Metabisulfite, CI 77492, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Angelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Lamium Album Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Cellulose, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Inositol, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, CI 77491, Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
