What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propanediol
Solvent
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Carbonate
SolventHydroxypropylcellulose
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Palmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingLimonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citral
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientC13-16 Isoparaffin
Solvent
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Urea
Buffering
Yeast Amino Acids
HumectantTrehalose
Humectant
Inositol
Humectant
Taurine
BufferingBetaine
Humectant
Glutathione
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingOleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Hexylresorcinol
Antimicrobial
Polysilicone-11
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningPolyisobutene
Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ProtectingZanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Surfactin
CleansingXymenynic Acid
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether
Emulsifying
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Gold
Cosmetic ColorantCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Sodium Hydroxide, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Diisopropyl Sebacate, C13-16 Isoparaffin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ascorbic Acid, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Glutathione, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Oleyl Alcohol, Silica, Hexylresorcinol, Polysilicone-11, Triheptanoin, Polyisobutene, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower, Butylene Glycol, Mica, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Surfactin, Xymenynic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Sorbitol, Tin Oxide, Xanthan Gum, T-Butyl Alcohol, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Gold, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
