What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tribehenin
Emollient
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Talc
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Propylene Glycol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Tribehenin, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hexyl Laurate, Panthenol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Alcohol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Talc, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Magnesium Sulfate
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingParaffin
Skin ConditioningDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract
Astringent
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Sulfate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Paraffin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Microcrystalline Wax, Caprylyl Glycol, Silica Silylate, Synthetic Wax, Caffeine, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDisodium 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 EDTADisteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (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.
Propylene 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 GlycolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
