What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
PEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
PCA
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Trehalose
Humectant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Sophora Flavescens Root Extract
Antioxidant
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningYeast Polysaccharides
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Masking
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, PEG-400, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Panthenol, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Carbomer, Allantoin, PCA, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Trehalose, Ectoin, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Yeast Polysaccharides, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 60, T-Butyl Alcohol, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
C13-15 Alkane
SolventPropanediol
Solvent
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPolyacrylate-13
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Parfum
Masking
Polyisobutene
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trideceth-9
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine, Betaine, C13-15 Alkane, Propanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Arachidyl Alcohol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Jojoba Esters, Behenyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Propylene Glycol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Polyacrylate-13, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Parfum, Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Tin Oxide, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Trideceth-9, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 77891, CI 17200
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
