What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Corn Starch Modified
AbsorbentPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Magnesium Sulfate
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPolyquaternium-55
Polyquaternium-10
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Tetrasodium EDTA
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate
StabilisingCoumarin
Perfuming
Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Keratin Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Prunus Serotina Bark Extract
MaskingHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialCymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract
Skin ConditioningUrtica Dioica Extract
AstringentRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Acyl Coenzyme A Desaturase
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Water, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearalkonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Corn Starch Modified, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Sulfate, Ceteareth-20, Polyquaternium-55, Polyquaternium-10, Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Parfum, Sodium PCA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene, Tetrasodium EDTA, Pvp, Benzyl Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Caprylyl Glycol, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate, Coumarin, Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Keratin Amino Acids, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Prunus Serotina Bark Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Acyl Coenzyme A Desaturase, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Camelina Sativa Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Sodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Polyquaternium-4
Pectin
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sucrose
Humectant
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Persea Gratissima Oil, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Esters, Sodium Bicarbonate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum, Polyquaternium-4, Pectin, Squalane, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sucrose, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Geraniol, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
This is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractWater. 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
