What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPvp
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantAlpinia Speciosa Flower/Leaf/Stem Water
AntimicrobialPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningMicrocitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Tocopherol
AntioxidantPotassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate
AntioxidantSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Pvp, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Glycerin, Alpinia Speciosa Flower/Leaf/Stem Water, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Ceramide AP, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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.
Pvp is a water-soluble synthetic polymer and common hairstyling ingredient. It is a film-forming ingredient and used to "hold" specific shapes of hair.
In cosmetics, PVP helps products like sunscreens and color cosmetics last longer and wear more evenly.
It is less effective in high-humidity. It tends to draw moisture, but this moisture dismantles the structure and "hold".
PVP is generally well tolerated on skin and toxicity studies are negative for dermal irritation.
Learn more about PvpWater. 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