What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitoyl Grape Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Plant Ash
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables, Dimethicone, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan, Tocopherol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Plant Ash
Water
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Protein
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ceteareth-33
CleansingMannitol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Polyaminopropyl Biguanide
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Protein, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ceteareth-33, Mannitol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Tocopherol, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Coumarin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 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 LinaloolParfum 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 ParfumTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
