What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingWater
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Water, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zinc Sulfate, 1,2-Hexanediol
Terminalia Bellerica Fruit Water
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glutathione
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Terminalia Bellerica Fruit Water, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Glutathione, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Ceramide EOP
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
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide yet.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate comes from Capric Acid and Polyglycerin-4. It is an emulsifier.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. They do this by preventing ingredients from separating, such as oils and water which do not mix naturally.
