What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Amodimethicone
Parfum
Masking
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Limonene
Perfuming
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingChlorhexidine Dihydrochloride
Antimicrobial
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Linalool
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicSafflower Glucoside
Geraniol
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Amodimethicone, Parfum, Behentrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Limonene, Trideceth-6, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Hexyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Benzyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Linalool, Amyl Cinnamal, Zinc PCA, Biotin, Safflower Glucoside, Geraniol, Tocopherol, Sodium Citrate
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentPyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Pisum Sativum Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Dicetyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Amodimethicone/Morpholinomethyl Silsesquioxane Copolymer
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTrideceth-5
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Magnesium Nitrate
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
CI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Oleyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Pyridoxine Hcl, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Glyceryl Stearate, Amodimethicone/Morpholinomethyl Silsesquioxane Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Trideceth-5, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Myristyl Alcohol, Magnesium Nitrate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, CI 16035, Caramel, Parfum, Linalool, Geraniol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholThis ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Geraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolParfum 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
