What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
SolventHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Silk Extract
Skin ConditioningPhragmites Communis Extract
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Malva Sylvestris Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDioscorea Opposita Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCentaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
Astringent
Saponaria Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningGanoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin Protecting
Water, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glycerin, Tranexamic Acid, Allantoin, Zea Mays Silk Extract, Phragmites Communis Extract, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Malva Sylvestris Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dioscorea Opposita Root Extract, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-8
HumectantErythritol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Diglucosyl Gallic Acid
Hydrolyzed Algae Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Bioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientEpigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantLecithin
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Hexyldecanol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Water, Panthenol, PEG-8, Erythritol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Urea, Trehalose, PCA, Sodium PCA, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Bisabolol, Lactic Acid, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Octyldodecanol, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Hydrolyzed Algae Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Bioflavonoids, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Diisostearyl Malate, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Ethoxydiglycol, Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Disodium EDTA, Sucrose Stearate, Phytosphingosine, Hexyldecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 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 HydroxyacetophenoneWater. 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
