What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Methylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Tetrasodium EDTA
Propylparaben
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
BHT
Antioxidant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Prunus Cerasus Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Lilium Candidum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, PEG-8, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Oryza Sativa Extract, Methylparaben, Parfum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, BHT, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Prunus Cerasus Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Lilium Candidum Flower Extract, CI 14700, CI 17200
Water
Skin ConditioningPoloxamer 184
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Rose Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Pearl
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Polyquaternium-10
Citric Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Sulfate
Trisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Poloxamer 184, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Rose Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Pearl, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sorbitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Decyl Glucoside, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Sulfate, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenParfum 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 ParfumPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
