What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingTriticum Vulgare Starch
Abrasive
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Oenothera Biennis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCymbopogon Schoenanthus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sarcosine
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sorbitol
Humectant
Chondrus Crispus
Masking
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Potassium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningMethylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPropylparaben
Preservative
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citral
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Kaolin, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Zinc Oxide, Cera Microcristallina, Triticum Vulgare Starch, Titanium Dioxide, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cera Alba, Cellulose Gum, Glycine Soja Oil, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Oenothera Biennis Seed Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Panthenol, Sarcosine, Magnesium Aspartate, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitol, Chondrus Crispus, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Parfum, Potassium Aspartate, Methylparaben, Sodium Chloride, Propylparaben, Potassium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Citral, Eugenol, Linalool, CI 17200, CI 42090
Reviews
Alternatives
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 Water
