What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
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Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPetrolatum
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emulsifying
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Petrolatum, Propylene Glycol, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Allantoin, Methylparaben, Parfum, Methylisothiazolinone, Propylparaben, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Isohexadecane
EmollientPotassium Laureth Phosphate
EmulsifyingOligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Isohexadecane, Potassium Laureth Phosphate, Oligopeptide-1, Propylene Glycol, Trehalose, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Salicylic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Parfum, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Xanthan Gum, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
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Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinIsohexadecane is added to enhance texture, emulsify, and to help cleanse. It is an isoparrafin. It is a component of petrolatum.
Due to its large size, Isohexadecane is not absorbed by the skin. Instead, it sits on top and acts as an emollient. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by trapping moisture within.
Isohexadecane is often used in products designed to help oily skin. It is lightweight and non-greasy while helping to moisturize. When mixed with silicones, it gives a product a silky feel.
Learn more about IsohexadecaneMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenParfum 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 GlycolWater. 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
