What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Caproyl Prolinate
HumectantHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Phytic Acid
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Propanediol, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Bakuchiol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Caproyl Prolinate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Polysorbate 60, Phytic Acid, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
CI 77947
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Gossypium Herbaceum Flower Extract
HumectantBeta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Umbelliformis Extract
Skin ConditioningEuphrasia Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Saccharum Officinarum Juice Extract
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Kaolin
Abrasive
Lecithin
Emollient
Sucrose
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Inositol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Trehalose
Humectant
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientSucrose Polystearate
EmollientSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium PCA
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, CI 77947, Zea Mays Starch, Gossypium Herbaceum Flower Extract, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Artemisia Umbelliformis Extract, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Saccharum Officinarum Juice Extract, Jojoba Esters, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Kaolin, Lecithin, Sucrose, Fructose, Glucose, Inositol, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Trehalose, Glyceryl Laurate, Potassium Sorbate, Sucrose Stearate, Sucrose Polystearate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Sodium PCA, Alcohol Denat., Phenoxyethanol
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
