What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Quaternium-60
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantParfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Saccharomyces/Nelumbo Nucifera Ferment Extract Filtrate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Pearl Powder
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sorbitol
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Prunus Mume Fruit Extract
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Quaternium-60, Propylene Glycol, Carbomer, Dipropylene Glycol, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Saccharomyces/Nelumbo Nucifera Ferment Extract Filtrate, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, Pearl Powder, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Lactic Acid, Serine, Sodium Lactate, Sorbitol, Urea, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCellulose
Absorbent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Quaternium-60
Carbomer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningPapain
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Cellulose, Propylene Glycol, Quaternium-60, Carbomer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Papain, Maltodextrin, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, C12-14 Pareth-12, Gluconolactone, Glucose, Sodium Metabisulfite, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Disodium EDTA, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolDisodium 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 EDTAPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWe don't have a description for Quaternium-60 yet.
Water. 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
