What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Salvia Sclarea Extract
AntiseborrhoeicLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cera Alba
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Medica Peel Oil
Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel
Skin ConditioningPolymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Zea Mays Starch, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Parfum, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Salvia Sclarea Extract, Lactobacillus, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Cera Alba, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Jojoba Esters, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Citrus Medica Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Zinc Oxide, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Propanediol, Maltodextrin, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Glycine Soja Oil, Arginine, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Amyl Cinnamal, Citral, Eugenol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingDimethicone
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingTipa-Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningGypsophila Paniculata Root Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Dimethicone, Lauric Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Tipa-Laureth Sulfate, Glycol Distearate, Glyceryl Behenate, Ozokerite, Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Maltodextrin, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Extract, Gypsophila Paniculata Root Extract, Lactobacillus, Potassium Sorbate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, BHT, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Linalool, Titanium Dioxide
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide is a prebiotic. It prevents harmful bacteria from growing on skin by keeping the skin's microbiome in balance.
Another benefit of this ingredient is its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect our skin from oxidative damage.
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 GlycerinLactobacillus is the INCI name for the live, whole lactic bacteria culture itself and is classified as a skin conditioning agent.
It is the same genus of probiotic that you can find in yogurt or fermented foods and it shows up at low levels naturally on human skin.
This ingredient is more of a microbiome agent rather than an active; it helps rebalance the skin's microbial community.
The bacteria and their metabolites produce lactic acid and other antimicrobial compounds that crowd out the "bad bacteria". Research on Lactobacillus strains shows activity against pathogens and acne-causing bacteria.
One strain, Lactobacillus plantarum, has also been shown to boost collagen synthesis and lower melanin synthesis in lab and clinical observation.
The most eye-catching data comes from acne research, a topical cream with live lactobacilli was well-tolerated and improved skin hydration by 37.3% after 14 days of use and 45.6% after 28 days.
Sources for this ingredient are usually fermented substrates like dairy, soy, or rice.
In general, this is a low-irritation and well-tolerated ingredient that plays nice with most of your routine.
One thing to keep in mind is that live bacteria are hard to keep alive inside of a skincare product. They struggle to survive on the shelf and don't get along with the preservatives that stop products from spoiling.
That's why you'll see ferment and postbiotic forms instead, like Lactobacillus Ferment or Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate.
There isn't a fixed percentage for this ingredient since it is dosed by strain and viable count.
On the fungal acne front: Lactobacillus is a bacterium (not a fungus). The whole culture contains no fatty acids, esters, or oils that Malassezia can feed on so it is considered fungal acne safe.
Learn more about LactobacillusLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool 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 LinaloolMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinParfum 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 ParfumPolymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice comes from the roots of the Yacon plant native to South America. It is a skin conditioning ingredient that helps keep skin feeling soft and hydrated.
Yacon roots are naturally loaded with fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a type of prebiotic sugar. Prebiotics like FOS help feed the "good" bacteria on your skin to support a healthy and balanced environment.
This root juice also contains antioxidant compounds (like chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid).
Just so you know, Yacon belongs to the daisy family so be sure to patch test if you have a known allergy to plants in that family.
Learn more about Polymnia Sonchifolia Root JuicePotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateStearic 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
