What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Amorphophallus Konjac Root Extract
HumectantCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCarrageenan
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Extract, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Extract
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Extract, Squalane, Coconut Alkanes, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
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 AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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.
Water. 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
