What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningInositol
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicThiamine Hcl
MaskingRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Pullulan
Water, Niacinamide, Alpha-Arbutin, Propanediol, Zinc PCA, Betaine, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Potassium Sorbate, Pyridoxine Hcl, Inositol, Biotin, Thiamine Hcl, Riboflavin, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Pullulan
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pullulan
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Gluconolactone, Glycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pullulan, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lecithin, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethyl Isosorbide is a low-irritation solvent that helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from glucose.
Research shows how well this ingredient works depends on the active and formulation rather than the concentration alone. This means adding more Dimethyl Isosorbide does not guarantee better penetration of ingredients into the skin.
Ethoxydiglycol is a synthetic solvent.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Ethoxydiglycol also helps deliver other key ingredients into the skin.
Learn more about EthoxydiglycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Pullulan is a low viscosity polysaccharide (a long chain carbohydrate) with binding and film forming properties when dissolved in water. It is used to create a "silicone-like" or silky feel in cosmetics without adding viscosity.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient's ability to easily dissolves makes it a great carrier for active ingredients.
Due to it being edible and tasteless, you'll likely find this ingredient in breath freshener strips. This ingredient is produced from the starch of the fungus, Aureobasidium pullulans.
Pullulan is stable over a broad-range of pH.
Learn more about PullulanSclerotium Gum is a polysaccharide gum made by the fungus, Sclerotium rolfssii. It is similar to xanthan gum.
In cosmetics, Sclerotium Gum is used to thicken the texture and to help stabilize other ingredients.
As an emulsifier, Sclerotium Gum helps prevent ingredients from separating, such as water and oil.
Learn more about Sclerotium GumThis is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium GluconateXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
