What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventBetula Alba Juice
Astringent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Propanediol, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Dimethyl Sulfone, Betula Alba Juice, 1,2-Hexanediol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, Mentha Piperita Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLens Esculenta Seed Extract
Skin ProtectingHamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSwiftlet Nest Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Fructan
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Lactobionic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Glycol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRaspberry Ketone
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Seed Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Swiftlet Nest Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Fructan, Allantoin, Adenosine, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Xylitol, Salicylic Acid, Lactobionic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Mentha Piperita Oil
Reviews
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
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolDipropylene 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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinThis essential oil is steam-distilled from peppermint leaves, also known as peppermint oil. It's mainly used for scent in skincare but also provides that signature "cooling" sensation.
Peppermint oil is a "feels amazing" ingredient until it doesn't.
At higher doses or for those with sensitive skin, methol-type cooling can quickly turn into burning/irritation. It can also trigger irritant dermatitis or even allergic contact dermatitis. In a large patch-test dataset, peppermint oil had a low but positive rate for this.
In cosmetics, Cosmetic Safety Reviews (CIR) concludes that peppermint oil is safe to use when formulated to be non-sensitizing with some restrictions; for instance, pulegone, a naturally occurring component of peppermint oil, should not exceed 1%.
Since peppermint oil contains fragrance allergens such as limonene, linalool, and menthol, it can be sensitizing for those with rosacea, eczema, a broken skin barrier, or just sensitive skin in general.
In Japan, this ingredient is known as Hakka Yu.
Learn more about Mentha Piperita OilWater. 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
