What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-8 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Polypropylsilsesquioxane
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTrimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Fructose
Humectant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract
Antioxidant
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Methylpropanediol
SolventAcmella Oleracea Extract
Skin ProtectingPolysilicone-11
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Ptychopetalum Olacoides Bark/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPfaffia Paniculata Root Extract
SoothingLilium Candidum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Silica
Abrasive
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Tagetes Erecta Flower Extract
Perfuming
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Lecithin
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, PEG-8 Beeswax, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Dimethicone, C10-18 Triglycerides, Glycerin, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Boron Nitride, Fructose, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Phytate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol, Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Methylpropanediol, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Polysilicone-11, Caprylyl Glycol, Caffeine, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Ptychopetalum Olacoides Bark/Stem Extract, Pfaffia Paniculata Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Glycolic Acid, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Tagetes Erecta Flower Extract, Triethyl Citrate, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Benzoic Acid, Lecithin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Gallyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Oxidized Glutathione
EmollientMelanin
Skin ProtectingGlycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Propyl Gallate
Antioxidant
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Caffeine, Maltodextrin, Glycerin, Propanediol, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Hyaluronic Acid, Oxidized Glutathione, Melanin, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Propyl Gallate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Benzyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
Alternatives
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 an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCaffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCaprylyl 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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
