This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Zinc PCA to balance excess oil and refine the look of pores.
This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate and Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantC15-19 Alkane
SolventSalvia Hispanica Seed Oil
EmollientSodium PCA
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantPoria Cocos Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningPapain
Skin ConditioningDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningAminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantTerminalia Arjuna Extract
Skin ConditioningTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
AntioxidantAscorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate
AntioxidantPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningAlgin
MaskingCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
MaskingPhytosteryl Oleate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantSerine
MaskingOleic Acid
EmollientInositol
HumectantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientBetaine
HumectantCarrageenan
Panthenol
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantMethylpropanediol
SolventProline
Skin ConditioningXylitol
HumectantCalcium Gluconate
HumectantPantolactone
HumectantLecithin
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPolyacrylate-13
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Polyisobutene
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
PerfumingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, C15-19 Alkane, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Sodium PCA, Trehalose, Poria Cocos Polysaccharide, Papain, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Terminalia Arjuna Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosterols, Algin, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Phytosteryl Oleate, Tocopherol, Serine, Oleic Acid, Inositol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Betaine, Carrageenan, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Methylpropanediol, Proline, Xylitol, Calcium Gluconate, Pantolactone, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylate-13, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Gluconolactone, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Carbomer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, 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.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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