What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Octoxynol-10
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Flower Extract
Perfuming
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Citrus Grandis Extract
AntimicrobialCitrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantThymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract
MaskingEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantLinalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Morus Alba Root Extract
BleachingWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Parfum, Benzophenone-4, Butylene Glycol, Citrus Grandis Extract, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Benzyl Benzoate, CI 19140, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, CI 42090, Linalool, Citronellol, Morus Alba 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.
This extract comes from cucumber. Cucumbers are mostly made up of water (95%), and the other 5% is composed of: vitamin C, caffeic acid, fatty acids, amino acids, and other minerals.
Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory, barrier repair, and hydrating properties.
They contain shikimate dehydrigenase, an enzyme shown to help reduce inflammation and soothe the skin.
The amino acids found in cucumbers help nourish our skin's natural acid mantle (it's an important part of our skin barrier). This slightly acidic film acts as a barrier to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants.
Unless you have an allergy to cucumbers, this is generally a non-irritating ingredient.
Fun fact: Cucumis Sativus is native to South Asia and can now be found on every continent.
Learn more about Cucumis Sativus Fruit ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePhenoxyethanol 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 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
