What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Glycine Soja Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Linalool, Geraniol, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Tetradecenyl/Methylpentadecene
SolventPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Dimethicone, PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Stearyl Alcohol, Isododecane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Panthenol, Hydrogenated Tetradecenyl/Methylpentadecene, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxycitronellal, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, CI 14700, CI 19140
Reviews
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 AlcoholGeraniol 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateLinalool 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 LinaloolMyristyl Myristate is created from the fatty acids of myristyl alcohol and myristic acid. In skincare, it is an emollient and texture enhancer.
On its own, this ingredient has a comedogenicity index of 5/5. This means it has the potential to clog pores. When diluted with cetyl alcohol or propylene glycol, the comedogenicity will decrease.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.
Nutmeg, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil all contain this ingredient naturally.
Learn more about Myristyl MyristateParfum 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.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopheryl 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
