What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSuccinic Acid
BufferingSalix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Parfum
Masking
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Squalane
Emollient
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Masking
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Isopropyl Myristate, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Succinic Acid, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Parfum, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Coumarin, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Squalane, Sphingolipids, Ceramide NP, Zinc Gluconate, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Brassica Alcohol
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
PEG-75 Stearate
Surfactant
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeteth-20
CleansingSteareth-20
CleansingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Copper PCA
HumectantLauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Gluconate
ChelatingEugenia Caryophyllus Flower Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Linalool
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Triolein, Brassica Alcohol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Saccharide Isomerate, PEG-75 Stearate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Cellulose Gum, Bisabolol, Copper PCA, Lauroyl Lysine, Sodium Gluconate, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Linoleic Acid, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Stearic Acid, Vegetable Oil, Linolenic Acid, Linalool, Eugenol, Limonene, Geraniol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a small, naturally occurring scent molecule found in plants like lavender, coriander, bergamot, and more.
It is one of the two most-used fragrance ingredients in cosmetics and added purely for smell. Since it's not used for a skin benefit, there's no "effective dose". Concentration depends on the fragrance load of the product.
The EU requires it to be named on the label above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
Fresh linalool is a weak sensitizer but air exposure turns some of it into hydroperoxides, which are strong sensitizers. Those oxidation products are the actual allergy concern.
Patch-test clinics see positive reactions to linalool hydroperoxides in about 4% to 12% of dermatitis patients depending on country and test concentration.
Resassuringly, one analytical study found hydroperoxide levels in real fragranced products to be orders of magnitude below what induced sensitization in animal studies with no evidence of oxidation building up during normal storage.
The practical takeaway is that linalool is fine for most people but worth avoiding if you have a confirmed fragrance contact allergy or a badly compromised barrier.
Products stored a long time after opening are also the high-risk scenario since that is when oxidation happens.
The scent of linalool is described as floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolWater. 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
