What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Starch
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Octyldodecyl Citrate Crosspolymer
HumectantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenyl Ethyl Ether
Pantethine
EmollientSodium PCA
Humectant
Phytantriol
HumectantStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Trehalose
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Urea
Buffering
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
BHT
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Stearalkonium Chloride, Glycerin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propanediol, Lactic Acid, Octyldodecyl Citrate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Pantethine, Sodium PCA, Phytantriol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Chloride, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Polyquaternium-51, Urea, Alcohol Denat., BHT, Parfum, Linalool, Limonene, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Quaternium-91
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Keratin Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Acyl Coenzyme A Desaturase
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Quaternium-91, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Stearalkonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Chloride, Myristyl Myristate, Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Keratin Amino Acids, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Acyl Coenzyme A Desaturase, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, 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%.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetearyl 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 AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholParfum 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.
Stearalkonium Chloride is a preservative.
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
