What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycereth-26
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water
AstringentMicrocitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
EmollientPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantSqualane
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Glycereth-26, Panthenol, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Squalane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyacetophenone, Parfum, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Glycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventAcrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantColloidal Gold
AntimicrobialTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
EmollientCocos Nucifera Water
MaskingCaffeine
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Dehydroacetate
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientT-Butyl Alcohol
PerfumingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantGlycerin, Water, Propanediol, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Mica, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Colloidal Gold, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Parfum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Cocos Nucifera Water, Caffeine, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, T-Butyl Alcohol, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 15985
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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