What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tetrasodium EDTA
Dimethicone
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Persea Gratissima Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycine Soja Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citral, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Vp/Va Copolymer
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose
Absorbent
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Styrene/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Acetate
BufferingIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Cyclotetrasiloxane
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Polyquaternium-7
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantLimonene
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citral
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Vp/Va Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Silk, Panthenol, Cellulose, Sorbic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Benzyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-7, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, CI 19140, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citral is the molecule responsible for the fresh lemon scent in lemon, lime, and lemongrass. It is a fragrance ingredient that can be created from plant essential oils or synthetically.
Though Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1% so there's likely no skin benefit.
You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.
Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
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 CitralGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseIsopropyl Alcohol is more commonly known as rubbing alcohol. It is most commonly used as a solvent, meaning it helps other ingredients dissolve.
This ingredient is an astringent alcohol. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin as they high amounts may strip away your skin's natural oils.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Isopropyl AlcoholLimonene 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 LimoneneParfum 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 āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā 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.
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
