What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Water, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Secale Cereale Seed Extract, Calcium Pantothenate, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Ceramide AP
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Perlite
Absorbent
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Isohexadecane
EmollientMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100
HumectantMagnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Alcohol Denat., Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Dimethicone, Lauroyl Lysine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octyldodecanol, Behenyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Isostearate, Perlite, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Adenosine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyacetophenone, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Tocopherol, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Isohexadecane, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100, Magnesium Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Oleate, Stearic Acid, CI 15985, CI 16035, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
