What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Magnesium Sulfate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Silica
Abrasive
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientBetaine
Humectant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
CI 77492
Cosmetic Colorant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Zinc Oxide, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Betaine, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Stearic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Allantoin, Caffeine, CI 77491, CI 77499, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, CI 77492, 1,2-Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Lanolin
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Zinc Chloride
AntimicrobialCeteareth-25
CleansingCholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Eos
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dihydroxylignoceroyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Petrolatum, Paraffinum Liquidum, Triethylhexanoin, Pentylene Glycol, Sorbitan Stearate, Lanolin, Polysorbate 60, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Pyridoxine Hcl, Serine, Zinc Chloride, Ceteareth-25, Cholesterol, Ceramide NP, Behenic Acid, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Dihydroxylignoceroyl Phytosphingosine
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone 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 GlycerinPentylene 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 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
