What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylyl Methicone
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventDimethicone
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Alcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialSodium Chloride
MaskingTriethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Alumina
AbrasiveDipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingAlthaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantJuglans Regia Leaf Extract
AbrasiveSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Caprylyl Methicone, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Chloride, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Alumina, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Juglans Regia Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV AbsorberDisiloxane
Skin ConditioningPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
EmulsifyingEthylhexyl Salicylate
UV AbsorberC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantIsohexadecane
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientMethicone
EmollientPPG-15 Stearyl Ether
EmollientIsopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
EmollientBoron Nitride
AbsorbentJojoba Esters
EmollientSqualane
EmollientMagnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantDisodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantLauryl PCA
HumectantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Dehydroacetate
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativePropylparaben
PreservativeIron Oxides
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Disiloxane, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Methicone, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Boron Nitride, Jojoba Esters, Squalane, Magnesium Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lauryl PCA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Iron Oxides, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is an synthetic emollient, emulsifier, and used as a surface treatment for pigment particles (like iron oxides or titanium dioxide).
The “triisostearate” part of this ingredient is an ester derived from isostearic acid, a long-chain fatty acid.
It "wraps" these ingredients in a form of slippery jacket so they disperse more evenly in oils, glide better on skin, and stick longer without smudging.
Human repeat insult patch tests on foundations containing this ingredient found no sensitization concerns.
Since isostearic acid is a C18 fatty acid, it falls within the carbon chain length that Malassezia can potentially metabolize. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Isopropyl Titanium TriisostearatePhenoxyethanol 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