What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycerin
HumectantPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingTrehalose
HumectantParfum
MaskingStyrene/Vp Copolymer
Disodium EDTA
Betaine
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantBenzyl Glycol
SolventBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningSodium Dodoxynol-40 Sulfate
SurfactantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
PreservativeAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasivePolygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCastanea Crenata Shell Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentCanavalia Gladiata Extract
AstringentOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningRaspberry Ketone
MaskingButoxydiglycol
MaskingWater, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Trehalose, Parfum, Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Betaine, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Benzyl Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Dodoxynol-40 Sulfate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbic Acid, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Polygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract, Castanea Crenata Shell Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Canavalia Gladiata Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Raspberry Ketone, Butoxydiglycol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Benzoate
MaskingParfum
MaskingPaeonia Lactiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbic Acid
PreservativeNitrogen
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 ParfumSorbic Acid is a preservative that stops your product from spoiling by stopping microbes from growing.
As a preservative, it's kind of a specialist: it has a broad spectrum of activity against yeast and molds but is weaker against bacteria. That's why it's often paired with another preservative to cover that gap.
This ingredient is also pretty picky about pH; it performs best at pH 6.5 or below.
At the right pH level, sorbic acid is "active" and can slip through the outer wall of a microbe. Once inside, it turns the cell's interior more acidic to shut down the microbe from the inside.
The EU caps this ingredient at 0.6% while the CIR has concluded it's safe at concentrations up to 1%. It's most often used around 0.05-0.2% in cosmetics.
Though this ingredient is considered low-sensitizing and well-tolerated, a very small number of people may have a contact allergy to it. Be sure to patch test if you have a history of allergies towards preservatives.
Learn more about Sorbic AcidWater. 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