What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer
Emollient
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysilicone-11
Isohexadecane
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Isoceteth-20
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Triethanolamine
BufferingEthoxydiglycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, Azelaic Acid, Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysilicone-11, Isohexadecane, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Isoceteth-20, Polysorbate 60, Triethanolamine, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
C12-13 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olive Oil Decyl Esters
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Guaiazulene
Antimicrobial
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Amorphophallus Konjac Root Extract
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalane
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Olive Oil Decyl Esters, Cetearyl Alcohol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Glycosphingolipids, Allantoin, Guaiazulene, Glycolipids, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Glyceryl Stearate, Jojoba Esters, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Squalene, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Extract, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalane, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Polysorbate 60, Polyglycerin-3, Sorbitan Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Phenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
