What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
EmollientCera Alba
EmollientPetrolatum
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantVp/Va Copolymer
Diethylhexyl Maleate
EmollientCopernicia Cerifera Wax
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingVinyl Caprolactam/Vp/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingPEG-90m
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeGlycerin
HumectantMethylparaben
PreservativePropylparaben
PreservativeButylparaben
MaskingEthylparaben
PreservativeWater, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cera Alba, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Vp/Va Copolymer, Diethylhexyl Maleate, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Ozokerite, Vinyl Caprolactam/Vp/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum, PEG-90m, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantOzokerite
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingOleth-20
CleansingOleth-3
EmulsifyingOleth-5
EmulsifyingIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientOleth-10 Phosphate
SurfactantOleth-3 Phosphate
SurfactantPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
EmulsifyingTriethanolamine
BufferingVp/Va Copolymer
PEG-45m
HumectantBenzophenone-4
UV AbsorberExtracts
CI 60730
Cosmetic ColorantGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningDiazolidinyl Urea
PreservativeCopernicia Cerifera Wax
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingPropylparaben
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativeParfum
MaskingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingWater, Propylene Glycol, Ozokerite, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oleth-20, Oleth-3, Oleth-5, Isopropyl Myristate, Oleth-10 Phosphate, Oleth-3 Phosphate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Triethanolamine, Vp/Va Copolymer, PEG-45m, Benzophenone-4, Extracts, CI 60730, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Microcrystalline Wax, Phenyl Trimethicone, Diazolidinyl Urea, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Pvp, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Parfum, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Copernicia Cerifera Wax comes from a palm tree native to Brazil; another name for this ingredient is Carnauba Wax.
This ingredient is used to thicken texture and also leaves behind a film when applied.
Fun fact: This wax has the highest melting point of all natural waxes and low solubility.
Learn more about Copernicia Cerifera WaxGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenOzokerite is a naturally occuring mineral wax. In cosmetics, ozokerite is used as a texture enhancer.
Ceresin wax is derived from this ingredient.
The melting point of ozokerite is 58-100 C.
Ozokerite is found all over the world including Scotland, the US, and India.
Learn more about OzokeriteParfum 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 ParfumPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolPropylparaben is a preservative and one of the most widely used members of the paraben family (it's been used in cosmetics for over a century now).
It works by disrupting microbial cell membranes and enzymes, and is a broad-spectrum protector that works exceptionally well against molds, yeasts, and gram-positive bacteria.
You'll likely see it paired with methylparaben to cover the full range (including gram-negative bacteria).
This ingredient is effective at low concentrations (~0.2-0.5%) and stable across a wide pH range (4.5-7.5 pH). It's effectiveness drops off above pH 8 and it can lose potency when combined with non-ionic surfactants like polysorbate 80 due to micellization.
The regulatory bodies have concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics. The EU has capped it at 0.14% and combined parabens are not to exceed 0.8%.
While parabens do cross the stratum corneum, only about 1% remains for absorption into the body. This is because most of it is metabolized within living skin.
Learn more about PropylparabenVP/VA Copolymer is a synthetic polymer made by joining two smaller molecules (vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate) into a larger chain.
It is mainly used as a film-former and fixing agent. When a product dries, it creates a thin and flexible layer on the skin, hair, or nails. This film helps hold hairstyles into place, adds a smooth feel to skin, and traps moisture to reduce dryness.
Irritation is rare at normal concentrations and it doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
Learn more about Vp/Va CopolymerWater. 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