What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Leptospermum Scoparium Mel
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Centipeda Cunninghamii Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Emulsifying Wax
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Oat Protein
Skin ConditioningFrog Fat Extract
HumectantSaccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment
Saccharomyces/Potassium Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine Triphosphate
Skin ConditioningRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantTapioca Starch
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChondrus Crispus
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Geogard
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Leptospermum Scoparium Mel, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Centipeda Cunninghamii Extract, Glycerin, Emulsifying Wax, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Dimethyl Sulfone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Frog Fat Extract, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Potassium Ferment, Adenosine Triphosphate, Riboflavin, Tapioca Starch, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hydroxide, Titanium Dioxide, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Chondrus Crispus, Glucose, Sodium, Hyaluronic Acid, Geogard, Phenoxyethanol
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 PhenoxyethanolXanthan 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
