What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
No benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Acetate
Masking
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantEthylene Brassylate
MaskingGeraniol
Perfuming
Geranyl Acetate
Perfuming
Hexyl Acetate
Masking
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Terpineol
Masking
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Cis-3-Hexenyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citrus Limon Fruit Oil
Astringent
Ethyl Linalool
Masking
Methyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingHexenyl Acetate
Masking
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Alcohol Denat., Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Acetate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Dipropylene Glycol, Ethylene Brassylate, Geraniol, Geranyl Acetate, Hexyl Acetate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Terpineol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Cis-3-Hexenyl Salicylate, Citrus Limon Fruit Oil, Ethyl Linalool, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Hexenyl Acetate, Hydroxycitronellal
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
2,4-Dimethyl-4,4a,5,9b-Tetrahydroindeno-1,3-Dioxin
Perfuming
Dodecahydro-Tetramethylnaphthofuran
Perfuming
3-Methyl-4-(2,4,6-Trimethyl-3-Cyclohexenyl)-3-Buten-2-One
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Dimethylcyclohexylethoxy Isobutylpropanoate
MaskingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantEthyl Linalool
Masking
Ethylene Brassylate
MaskingLinalool
Perfuming
Methylcyclopentadecenone
MaskingMethyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingMethylenedioxyphenyl Methylpropanal
Perfuming
Water, Alcohol Denat., 2,4-Dimethyl-4,4a,5,9b-Tetrahydroindeno-1,3-Dioxin, Dodecahydro-Tetramethylnaphthofuran, 3-Methyl-4-(2,4,6-Trimethyl-3-Cyclohexenyl)-3-Buten-2-One, Citronellol, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Dimethylcyclohexylethoxy Isobutylpropanoate, Dipropylene Glycol, Ethyl Linalool, Ethylene Brassylate, Linalool, Methylcyclopentadecenone, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Methylenedioxyphenyl Methylpropanal
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Citronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".
Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.
Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.
Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,
Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.
Learn more about CitronellolDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolEthyl Linalool is a fragrance.
We don't have a description for Ethylene Brassylate yet.
We don't have a description for Methyldihydrojasmonate yet.
