What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Protein
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Morus Nigra Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Berberis Vulgaris Root Extract
AntimicrobialCeteareth-20
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitrus Medica Peel Oil
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Protein, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sorbitol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Cera Alba, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Morus Nigra Fruit Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Berberis Vulgaris Root Extract, Ceteareth-20, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Medica Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Citral
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate
Emulsifying
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Cell Extract
Skin ProtectingMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water
Skin ConditioningLinalool
Perfuming
Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Martini Oil
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Juniperus Mexicana Oil
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil
Masking
Hexyl Acetate
Masking
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
3-Hexenol
Masking
Farnesol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate, Silica Silylate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Cell Extract, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Limonene, Geraniol, Water, Linalool, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Citral, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Citronellol, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil, Hexyl Acetate, Triethyl Citrate, 3-Hexenol, Farnesol, Phenoxyethanol
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 AlcoholCitral 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 CitralCitronellol 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 CitronellolGeraniol 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 GeraniolLimonene 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 LinaloolThis ingredient is the oil from the apricot.
Apricot Kernel Oil is an emollient and helps soften skin. This is due to its fatty acid components. Some of these fatty acids include linoleic and oleic acid.
This ingredient also has antioxidant properties from Vitamins A, C, and E. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. Besides being antioxidants, these vitamins provide plenty of skin benefits as well.
Learn more about Prunus Armeniaca Kernel OilJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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
