What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Mentha Aquatica Extract
TonicEchium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Polysorbate 20, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Octyldodecanol, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Mentha Aquatica Extract, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Potassium Sorbate, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Sorbic Acid, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Rosa Damascena Flower Water is the water-based byproduct of steam-distilling damask rose petals. It has skin conditioning, masking, and skin protecting properties.
Research shows that Rosa damascena is rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds like gallic acid that contribute to its antioxidant activity.
In vitro studies have shown that Rosa damascena can scavenge free radicals and reduce melanin overproduction. Research has also found this extract offers some degree of UV absorption but this should not replace your sunscreen.
Learn more about Rosa Damascena Flower WaterWater. 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
