What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-37
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialMacrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Saccharina Extract
Skin ProtectingChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningPhytic Acid
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientLauryl Glucoside
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Vinyl Caprolactam/Vp/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-11
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-37, Myristyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Pyridoxine Hcl, Phytic Acid, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Lauryl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Zinc Sulfate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Chloride, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Vinyl Caprolactam/Vp/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Polyquaternium-11, Stearyl Alcohol, Parfum, Limonene, Eugenol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Quaternium-80
Glycerin
Humectant
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningSalvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientTrehalose
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingEthyl Linoleate
Emollient
Ethyl Oleate
Emollient
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-37
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingDimethicone
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopentyldiol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Quaternium-80, Glycerin, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Trehalose, Xylitol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Ethyl Linoleate, Ethyl Oleate, Sorbitan Oleate, Polyquaternium-37, Sodium Phosphate, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, 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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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.
We don't have a description for Polyquaternium-37 yet.
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
