What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin Conditioning
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Oligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glycoproteins
Skin Conditioning
Larix Europaea Wood Extract
HumectantTrifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Dextran
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Zinc Chloride
AntimicrobialHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Oligopeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Caffeine, Panthenol, Arginine, Glycine, Glycoproteins, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dextran, Maltodextrin, Zinc Chloride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Metabisulfite, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Polyurethane-35
Cera Alba
Emollient
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-200 Glyceryl Stearate
Surfactant
Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Ethylene/Va Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Paraffin
Skin Conditioning
Aminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Rayon
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Tetrasodium EDTA
ChelatingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Silica
Abrasive
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Bambusa Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium EDTA
ChelatingCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 75470
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propylene Glycol, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Polyurethane-35, Cera Alba, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-200 Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethylene/Va Copolymer, Alcohol Denat., Paraffin, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Butylene Glycol, Rayon, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium EDTA, Myristic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Potassium Sorbate, Silica, Soluble Collagen, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Trisodium EDTA, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77007, Mica, CI 77891, CI 75470, CI 77288, CI 77742, CI 77510
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 GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl 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 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 HydroxyethylcellulosePhenoxyethanol 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 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
