What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Human Neonatal Fibroblast Conditioned Media
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide
Cleansing
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan
CleansingSqualane
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Isoceteth-20
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Human Neonatal Fibroblast Conditioned Media, Dimethicone, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Glycine Soja Sterols, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Squalane, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Isoceteth-20, Butylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Potassium Sorbate
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
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium 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 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
