What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAlgae Extract
EmollientTrehalose
Humectant
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Octyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantTromethamine
BufferingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Trisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dipropylene Glycol, Algae Extract, Trehalose, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Betaine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Octyldodeceth-16, Carbomer, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Tromethamine, Sodium Polyacrylate, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-8
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
HumectantCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Betula Alba Leaf Extract
AstringentPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Aviculare Extract
EmollientMagnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAnhydroxylitol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Methylparaben
Preservative
Triethanolamine
BufferingPanthenol, Water, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG-8, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Water, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Betula Alba Leaf Extract, Phytosterols, Polygonum Aviculare Extract, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Anhydroxylitol, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Methylparaben, Triethanolamine
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene 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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilWater. 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
