What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Dimethyl Mea
BufferingThioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tyrosine
Skin ConditioningLepidium Sativum Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane
Antioxidant
Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane
Antioxidant
Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sorbitol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Hexylene Glycol, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 20, Dimethyl Mea, Thioctic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Tyrosine, Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Lecithin, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Amyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool
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 GlycerinLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolOlive tree leaves contain more antioxidants than olive fruit.
This is due to its rich flavonoid and polyphenol content. However, the antioxidant content varies depending on plant variety, harvesting method, leaf maturity, and extraction method.
This ingredient also has a natural fragrance. Read more about fragrance in cosmetics here.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Leaf ExtractParfum 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 āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā 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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
