What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantSalicylic Acid
MaskingSalix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingSqualane
EmollientCaffeine
Skin ConditioningTilia Cordata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLitsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
MaskingCitrus Nobilis Peel Oil
MaskingCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
MaskingCananga Odorata Flower Oil
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingFarnesol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGeraniol
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingWater, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Squalane, Caffeine, Tilia Cordata Flower Extract, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Benzyl Benzoate, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicylate
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
AbrasiveGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingGlycolic Acid
BufferingLactic Acid
BufferingCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingMalic Acid
BufferingTartaric Acid
BufferingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Medica Fruit Juice Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingAngelica Archangelica Leaf Oil
PerfumingPelargonium Roseum Leaf Oil
PerfumingTilia Cordata Oil
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil
MaskingAnthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
MaskingCananga Odorata Flower Oil
MaskingMentha Viridis Leaf Oil
AstringentEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
PerfumingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningSilica
AbrasiveChondrus Crispus Powder
AbrasiveTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialWater, Kaolin, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Citric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Fruit Juice Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Angelica Archangelica Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Roseum Leaf Oil, Tilia Cordata Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Silica, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholBenzyl Benzoate is usually created from the condensation of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol. It is used as a preservative, solvent, and has a floral/balsamic scent in large amounts.
As a preservative, Benzyl Benzoate works against bacteria and fungus. It is often used to treat scabies and lice in medicine.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Due to its fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate can be sensitizing and may cause contact dermatitis. It is a known EU allergen. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Benzyl Benzoate can be naturally found in cranberries and peaches.
Learn more about Benzyl BenzoateCananga Odorata Flower Oil comes from the ylang-ylang flower, Cananga odorata.
Ylang-ylang oil has slight antibacterial, antioxidant and antifungal properties. However, it also contains a number of sensitizing ingredients such as geraniol, limonene, linalool and benzyl benzoate. These compounds are known EU allergens.
The composition of this ingredient depends on the source. Luxury perfumes tend to use higher grade ylang-ylang for their fragrance. Lower grade ylang-ylang is less fragrant.
Learn more about Cananga Odorata Flower OilDehydroacetic Acid is fungicide and bactericide. It is used as a preservative in cosmetics. Preservatives help elongate the shelf life of a product.
Dehydroacetic Acid is not soluble in water.
Geraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil is created from the lavender plant.
Lavender contains linalool and linalyl acetate.
When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia Flower OilLimonene 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 LimoneneLinalool 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 LinaloolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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