What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAmodimethicone
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingBenzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Triethanolamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Masking
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicNiacinamide
Smoothing
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Amodimethicone, Glycerin, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Pvp, Parfum, Polysorbate 20, Cetrimonium Chloride, DMDM Hydantoin, Trideceth-12, Benzophenone-4, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hydrolyzed Silk, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Biotin, Niacinamide, Lactic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This water-soluble silicone is used for its hydrating and softening properties. It is used to add a silky feel to skincare products and has great benefits for haircare.
In haircare, this ingredient:
- Adds shine
- Protects color
- Offers thermal protection
- Boosts hair strength
- Does not build up as easily
Benzophenone-4 (aka Sulisobenzone) is a water-soluble UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB rays with some UVA coverage.
It has two jobs in a formula:
That's why you'll spot it in a variety of products from sunscreens to clear-packaged serums where it protects dyes, fragrances, and other actives from degrading.
As a UV filter, it is fairly weak on its own. This is why it's almost always paired with stronger UV filters to build up SPF.
On the regulatory side, this ingredient is well-studied and broadly considered safe as used.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety reviewed it (and the endocrine-disruption questions that had been raised) and concluded it's safe as a UV filter up to 5%.
The US and Canada allow up to 10% and the CIR Expert Panel has found benzophenones safe at cosmetic-use levels with low skin penetration.
The only thing worth flagging for is contact allergy:
Benzophenone-4 stands out among UV filters as a frequent trigger or allergic and photoallergic contact dermatitis. A 2007 study in Contact Dermatitis even called it an "emerging allergen" so a small subset of people may get redness or irritation from it.
Learn more about Benzophenone-4This ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Disodium 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 GlycerinPEG-12 Dimethicone is a type of water-soluble silicone. It has skin conditioning and hydrating properties.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient's stability is decreased by strong acid or alkali.
Propylene 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
