What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Dodecene
MaskingPoloxamer 407
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Orchis Mascula Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Cetyl Esters, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone, Limonene, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Dodecene, Poloxamer 407, Citric Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzophenone-4, Hydroxycitronellal, Amyl Cinnamal, Orchis Mascula Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingBis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dicetyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingGlutamic Acid
Humectant
PEG-2m
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenyl Ethyl Ether
Histidine
Humectant
Rosa Gallica Flower Extract
AstringentMethylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Glutamic Acid, PEG-2m, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Histidine, Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone
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 an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholParfum 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 ParfumWater. 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
