What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Carrageenan
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Ceratonia Siliqua Gum
EmollientCucumis Sativus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Calcium Chloride
AstringentCyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSucrose
Humectant
Calendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Chloride
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Octanediol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
CI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Carrageenan, Caffeine, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Tocopherol, Calcium Chloride, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Sucrose, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Chondrus Crispus, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cellulose Gum, Potassium Chloride, Ethyl Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Octanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, CI 77288
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Euglena Gracilis Polysaccharide
Gel FormingCarrageenan
Chondrus Crispus
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Reviews
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 AllantoinCaprylyl 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 GlycolCarrageenan comes from red seaweed or algae. It is made up of polysaccharides and a highly flexible compound. Red algae cell walls are rich in carrageenan.
In cosmetics, it helps to thicken the texture. Studies show carrageenan extracted from red algae possess antioxidant properties. Components found in carrageenan include: lipids, fatty acids, Vitamin E, proteins, and several amino acids.
Learn more about different types of algae.
Carrageenan is also commonly used in medicine and food. It is a vegan alternative to animal-based gelatin.
Learn more about CarrageenanChondrus Crispus is a red algae native to the northern Atlantic ocean.
It is rich in antioxidants. The polysaccharides, peptides, and amino acid content helps moisturize skin.
Antioxidants present in chondrus crispus include lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein has the ability to filter blue light from screens.
Learn more about Chondrus CrispusEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneWater. 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
