What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3
Skin Conditioning
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Gallyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Fraxinus Excelsior Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningSilanetriol
Arginine
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Skin ConditioningPropyl Gallate
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Acetyl Glucosamine, Niacinamide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Caffeine, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Fraxinus Excelsior Bark Extract, Silanetriol, Arginine, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Propyl Gallate, Maltodextrin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Piperidinepropionic Acid
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingMyristyl Myristate
Emollient
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Beheneth-20
EmulsifyingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientDipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate
EmulsifyingPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningCarnosine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying2-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Isodonis Japonicus Leaf/Stalk Extract
MaskingPrunus Speciosa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningIris Florentina Root Extract
MaskingSanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract
CleansingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Acutiloba Root Extract
Skin ConditioningChaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBupleurum Falcatum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Persica Leaf Extract
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingBatyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Palm Oil
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientElaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil
Emollient
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate
CleansingBHT
Antioxidant
Trisodium EDTA
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Metaphosphate
BufferingCitronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Xylitol, Piperidinepropionic Acid, Petrolatum, Paraffinum Liquidum, Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, Myristyl Myristate, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Behenyl Alcohol, Beheneth-20, Stearyl Alcohol, Diisostearyl Malate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether, Carnosine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, 2-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Isodonis Japonicus Leaf/Stalk Extract, Prunus Speciosa Leaf Extract, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract, Prunus Persica Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Microcrystalline Wax, Batyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Isohexadecane, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, BHT, Trisodium EDTA, Alcohol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Citric Acid, Sorbitan Oleate, Linalool, Limonene, Sodium Metaphosphate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Benzoate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 77492, CI 77491
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDipropylene 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 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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 WaterXanthan 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
