What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Lactic Acid
Buffering
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Rhamnose
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Squalane
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Carbomer, Arginine, Niacinamide, Lactic Acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Rhamnose, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chlorphenesin, Ascorbic Acid, Phospholipids, Glycolic Acid, Retinol, Adenosine, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ferulic Acid, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Collagen
Moisturising
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Pelargonium Graveolens Extract
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Collagen, Ceramide NP, Centella Asiatica Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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
