What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-11 Methyl Ether Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Fomes Officinalis Extract
Skin ProtectingCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMannitol
Humectant
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Xylitol
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantPyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningPropyl Gallate
Antioxidant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, PEG-11 Methyl Ether Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Fomes Officinalis Extract, Capryloyl Glycine, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Citrate, Zinc Gluconate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Mannitol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Pyridoxine Hcl, Propyl Gallate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Fructooligosaccharides, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Xylitol
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
Hexyldecanol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Rhamnose
HumectantPyrus Malus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetrimonium Bromide
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are a type of prebiotic sugar with humectant and skin conditioning properties. As a humectant, they help attract and hold moisture in the skin.
FOS essentially acts as a food source for the "good" bacteria on your skin and make it harder for "bad" bacteria to thrive. A 2022 study using a reconstructured human skin model found that just 1% of FOS was enough to shift the bacteria balance in favor of beneficial species. This suggests it could help support a healthier skin microbiome over time.
This ingredient has a low sensitization risk and testing shows it does not classify as a skin irritant or sensitizer.
FOS are usually produced from sugar beets and can also be found in foods like bananas, garlic, and onions.
Learn more about FructooligosaccharidesGlycerin (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 GlycerinMannitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a humectant and moisturizes the skin. In vitro (not tested on a living organism), mannitol displays antioxidant properties.
When found in aqueous solutions, mannitol tends to become acidic. This is because it loses a hydrogen ion. This is why mannitol can often be found with pH adjusting ingredients, such as sodium bicarbonate.
Fun fact: Mannitol can be found in foods as a sweetener. It can be naturally found in mushrooms, algae, fruits, and veggies.
Learn more about MannitolParfum 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 ParfumPolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20We don't have a description for Rhamnose yet.
Sodium 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 HydroxideWater. 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 WaterXylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.
In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.
The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.
As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.
Learn more about Xylitol
