What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Tapioca Starch
Sodium Stearate
CleansingDiatomaceous Earth
Abrasive
Silica
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingNannochloropsis Oculata Extract
HumectantPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Propylene Glycol, Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Sodium Stearate, Diatomaceous Earth, Silica, Parfum, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Stearic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Sodium Chloride, Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Citral
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearate
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Caproyl/Lauroyl Lactylate
AntimicrobialEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Cocos Nucifera Liquid Endosperm
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Oleate
Emulsifying
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Sodium Surfactin
CleansingCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Linalool
Perfuming
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialCocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol, Water, Sodium Stearate, Propanediol, Parfum, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Silica, Sodium Caproyl/Lauroyl Lactylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethyl Citrate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Cocos Nucifera Liquid Endosperm, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Sodium Surfactin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Glyceryl Laurate, Linalool, Sodium Anisate, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Phenethyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Lauric Acid
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 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 ParfumPhenethyl Alcohol is a colorless and aromatic alohol. It is naturally occuring in essential oils.
The scent of this ingredient is floral and often compared to rose.
Like other alcohols, this ingredient helps prevent the growth of bacteria. However, its main purpose is to impact a fragrance.
Learn more about Phenethyl AlcoholPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate is the watery, nutrient-rich liquid left over after you ferment a yeast (genus Saccharomyces).
The yeast cells themselves are filtered out so you're getting the "broth" of skin-friendly molecules: amino acids, peptides, minerals, vitamins, organic acids, and beta-glucan.
Evidence-wise, its relatives (like Galactomyces) are the ones with the most published lab work. Keratinocyte studies show these ferments can boost barrier-related markers. This ingredient is generally assumed to behave similarly thanks to its overlapping composition.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its a fermentation filtrate. The exact composition is batch-variable and can include fatty acids and lipids byproducts.
Learn more about Saccharomyces Ferment FiltrateSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaSodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid.
The structure of sodium stearate makes it both a cleanser and emulsifier. As a cleanser, it helps dissolve dirt, oil, and other pollutants. As an emulsifier, it helps prevent ingredients from separating. This adds stability to the formula.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic 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
