What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Glucoside
HumectantTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Xylitol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSaccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
HumectantZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingEctoin
Skin ConditioningPolylysine
Allantoin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientBacillus/Soybean Ferment
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingBiosaccharide Gum-4
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBoswellia Serrata Resin Extract
SmoothingSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingLactic Acid
BufferingGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Xylitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Ectoin, Polylysine, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Lactic Acid, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
Oryza Sativa Bran Water 71%
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingPropanediol
SolventWater
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantDiphenyl Dimethicone
EmollientTriethylhexanoin
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantDextrin
AbsorbentHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Seed Protein
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingArbutin
AntioxidantAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Water 71%, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Panthenol, Betaine, Oryza Sativa Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Adenosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Dextrin, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Oryza Sativa Seed Protein, Ceramide NP, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Arbutin, Ascorbic Acid, Allantoin, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide EOP
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 AllantoinGlycerin (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 HydroxyacetophenonePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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