What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
C15-19 Alkane
SolventBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate
EmollientPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Carrot Protein/Hydrolyzed Kale Protein/Hydrolyzed Lemon Protein Extract
Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Water, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, C15-19 Alkane, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Carrot Protein/Hydrolyzed Kale Protein/Hydrolyzed Lemon Protein Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Isopropyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Ethylhexanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientTrehalose
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingEthyl Linoleate
Emollient
Ethyl Oleate
Emollient
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-37
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingDistearyldimonium Chloride
Quaternium-80
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Keratin Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningAcyl Coenzyme A Desaturase
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Trehalose, Xylitol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Ethyl Linoleate, Ethyl Oleate, Sorbitan Oleate, Polyquaternium-37, Sodium Phosphate, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Quaternium-80, Persea Gratissima Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Keratin Amino Acids, Acyl Coenzyme A Desaturase, Tocopherol, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a preservative and often used for it's anti-static properties. You'll most likely see this ingredient in hair conditioners.
It does not cause irritation or sensitization in leave-on products at 1-5%.
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 AlcoholCitric 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 AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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.
This ingredient comes from chia seeds (the same ones you put in your smoothie!). It has emollient and skin conditioning properties due to its rich concentration of linoleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
One small clinical study of 10 people found that a 4% chia seed oil formulation significantly improved skin hydration and soothed itchiness in 8 weeks. Another study showed using a chia seed extract enriched with vitamin F told skin cells to produce more of their own hydration factors.
There's also some lab evidence that chia seed extract, when paired with pomegranate extract, may help reduce excess pigment production.
Learn more about Salvia Hispanica Seed ExtractWater. 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
