What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Trehalose
Humectant
Citrus Limon Fruit Water
MaskingSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Clitoria Ternatea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Arginine PCA
HumectantAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Squalene
Emollient
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Squalane, Cetearyl Olivate, Trehalose, Citrus Limon Fruit Water, Sorbitan Olivate, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Clitoria Ternatea Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Polyglutamic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine PCA, Allantoin, Glycine Soja Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopherol, Squalene, Beta-Sitosterol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Citral, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Canola Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Tripelargonin
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Octyldodecanol, Canola Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetyl Alcohol, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Tripelargonin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Benzoate, Carbomer, Parfum, Citral, Limonene, Sodium Hydroxide
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citral is the molecule responsible for the fresh lemon scent in lemon, lime, and lemongrass. It is a fragrance ingredient that can be created from plant essential oils or synthetically.
Though Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1% so there's likely no skin benefit.
You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.
Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
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 CitralGlycerin (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 ParfumSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
