What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientBetaine
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters
Skin ConditioningPolyglycerin-3
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingUbiquinone
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantTromethamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Betaine, Pentylene Glycol, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, Polyglycerin-3, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Bakuchiol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Ubiquinone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide NP, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Allantoin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Lavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialOriganum Vulgare Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningThymus Vulgaris Extract
Perfuming
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyisobutene
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Betaine, Bakuchiol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Origanum Vulgare Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Adenosine, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Polyisobutene, Sorbitan Palmitate, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Oleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Arginine, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol
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
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 AllantoinBakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolBetaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineButylene 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 GlycolCaprylyl 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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinHydroxyacetophenone 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 HydroxyacetophenonePentylene 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 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
