What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
No benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
PEG-12
HumectantLauric Acid
Cleansing
Isododecane
EmollientIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-2 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Decyl Glucoside
CleansingPolysorbate 85
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Isostearyl Glyceryl Ether
Skin ConditioningMyristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isostearyl Glyceryl Pentaerythrityl Ether
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
BHT
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Paraffinum Liquidum, PEG-12, Lauric Acid, Isododecane, Isopropyl Palmitate, Water, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate, Decyl Glucoside, Polysorbate 85, Glyceryl Oleate, Isostearic Acid, Isostearyl Glyceryl Ether, Myristyl Alcohol, Isostearyl Glyceryl Pentaerythrityl Ether, Alcohol Denat., Citric Acid, BHT, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate
Emulsifying
PEG-12 Laurate
Emulsifying
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Tromethamine
BufferingOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
CleansingSorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
Emulsifying
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Laureth-4 Carboxylic Acid
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantLauric Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate, PEG-12 Laurate, Alcohol Denat., Tromethamine, Octyldodecanol, Decyl Glucoside, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Myristic Acid, Laureth-4 Carboxylic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Isostearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Parfum
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDecyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away. As an emulsion stabilizer, it stabilizes the ingredients in a product by preventing them from separating.
This ingredient is biodegradable and non-toxic. This ingredient is commonly found in baby shampoos.
Decyl Glucoside is sometimes used to stabilize the UV filter Tinosorb.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideIsostearic acid is a saturated fatty acid. Its structure makes it a great surfactant.
Surfactants help decrease the surface tension between two liquids. This property also makes it an effective emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent waters and oils from separating in a product.
Isostearic Acid is created from oleic acid.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Isostearic AcidLauric Acid is a fatty acid or lipid. About half of fatty acids in coconut oil is lauric acid.
This ingredient helps hydrate and sooth skin. As a humectant, it helps trap moisture. It also aids in cleaning and enhancing the texture of products.
Lauric acid may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal acne, safe.
Learn more about Lauric AcidParfum 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 ParfumPolyglyceryl-2 Isostearate isn't fungal acne safe.
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
