What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Bellis Perennis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Bidens Pilosa Extract
HumectantCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ceteth-10 Phosphate
CleansingDicetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
Emulsifying3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingLecithin
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Methyl Undecylenoyl Dipeptide-16
Skin Conditioning
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLepidium Sativum Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningCitral
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bellis Perennis Flower Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Squalane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Polysorbate 60, Alcohol Denat., Phenethyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Methyl Undecylenoyl Dipeptide-16, Disodium Phosphate, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract, Citral, Tocopherol, Ergothioneine
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 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
