What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDihydroxyacetone
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Citrus Nobilis Fruit Extract
MaskingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Linalool
Perfuming
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Limonene
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Dihydroxyacetone, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Saccharide Isomerate, Citrus Nobilis Fruit Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Parfum, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Linalool, Butylene Glycol, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningDihydroxyacetone
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Erythrulose
TanningAlthaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tilia Cordata Leaf Extract
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Dihydroxyacetone, Glycerin, Erythrulose, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Tilia Cordata Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholDihydroxyacetone, or DHA, is the active ingredient in self-tanners.
It's a simply sugar that reacts with the free amino acids in your outermost layer of skin to produce brown-colored compounds called melanoidins.
DHA does not penetrate living skin cells, does not interact with melanocytes, and does not affect actualy melanin production.
There's a "safety controversy" that largely stems from misinterpreted studies:
Once concern is that DHA can generate unstable molecules that can damage cells (free radicals) when exposed to sunlight. This only happens in the outermost layer of dead skin cells and wearing SPF on top takes care of it.
The DNA damage claim comes from lab studies that doused living skin cells in much higher concentrations of DHA than you'd ever find in a self-tanner. That's not really a meaningful comparison to putting self-tanning lotion on your skin.
Regulatory bodies around the world, including the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and the U.S. FDA consider it safe for use in cosmetics when applied topically (maximum 10%, and most self-tanners contain between 3-5%).
Learn more about DihydroxyacetoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
