What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Stearate
CleansingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Crithmum Maritimum Extract
Skin ConditioningMatrixyl 3000
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Water
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentRubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Euphrasia Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialHelichrysum Italicum Flower Oil
Masking
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingUbiquinone
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phytic Acid
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil
Masking
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningArnica Montana Flower Oil
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Glycolic Acid, Dimethyl Sulfone, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Squalane, Lactic Acid, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Stearyl Alcohol, Potassium Stearate, Ascorbic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Matrixyl 3000, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Water, Carbomer, Arginine, Beeswax, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Thioctic Acid, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Helichrysum Italicum Flower Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Ubiquinone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phytic Acid, Phospholipids, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sclerotium Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Pantothenic Acid, Arnica Montana Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sodium Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
