What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Propanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium EDTA
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Chloride
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trideceth-9
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Alcohol Denat., Propanediol, Niacinamide, Methyl Gluceth-20, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Glycerin, Chlorphenesin, Allantoin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sclerotium Gum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Trideceth-9, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingTrimethoxybenzylidene Pentanedione
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Arisaema Amurense Extract
Skin ConditioningBHT
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
2-Aminobutanol
BufferingWater, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Homosalate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Trimethoxybenzylidene Pentanedione, Phenoxyethanol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Arisaema Amurense Extract, BHT, Bisabolol, Silica, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Aminomethyl Propanol, Allantoin, Decyl Glucoside, Panthenol, Glycine Soja Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, T-Butyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, 2-Aminobutanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinAminomethyl Propanol is used to adjust the pH of products. It is also used as a base to create other organic compounds. Having a balanced pH is important for protecting your skin.
Aminomethyl propanol is safe to use in cosmetics up to 1%. It is soluble in water.
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 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
