What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBetaine
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Disodium EDTA
EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Mandelic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hydroxide, Betaine, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Centella Asiatica Extract, Salicylic Acid, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Water, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Kojic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polysorbate 20, Hyaluronic Acid, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Ferulic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, 4-Butylresorcinol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is derived from an herb native to Southeast Asia. It is famous for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.
Centella is rich in antioxidants and amino acids, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside.
Studies show the compounds in centella help with:
The combination of all these properties makes centella effective at soothing, hydrating, and protecting the skin.
Other great components of centella include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.
Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.
Learn more about Centella Asiatica ExtractEthylhexylglycerin 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
