What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingPEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Coceth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Polyaminopropyl Biguanide
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Salicylic Acid, Propanediol, Sodium Coceth Sulfate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-7 Olive Glycerides
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Mannitol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Cetrimonium Bromide
Antimicrobial
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-2
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Hexylene Glycol, Niacinamide, PEG-7 Olive Glycerides, Glycerin, Propanediol, Mannitol, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Xylitol, Allantoin, Cetrimonium Bromide, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Biosaccharide Gum-2, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene 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 PhenoxyethanolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
