What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Steartrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
C12-15 Pareth-3
EmulsifyingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyquaternium-7
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cysteine
Antioxidant
Silk Amino Acids
HumectantEthyl Hexanediol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Corn Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Leucine
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningTaurine
BufferingAspartic Acid
Masking
Ornithine
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningLysine
Skin ConditioningMethionine
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Cystine
MaskingAsparagine
MaskingAlanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingThreonine
Tryptophan
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Histidine
Humectant
Glycerin, Water, Dimethicone, Myristyl Alcohol, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Steartrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hexyl Cinnamal, C12-15 Pareth-3, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-7, Salicylic Acid, Geraniol, Citronellol, Limonene, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Silk, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cysteine, Silk Amino Acids, Ethyl Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Leucine, Valine, Isoleucine, Taurine, Aspartic Acid, Ornithine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Glutamine, Lysine, Methionine, Serine, Cystine, Asparagine, Alanine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Proline, Histidine
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPolysilicone-29
Silicone Quaternium-18
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dipropylene 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
