What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Diethylhexyl Sebacate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientHydrolyzed Keratin
HumectantHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantPropolis Extract
Skin ConditioningGamma-Docosalactone
Skin ConditioningZinc Glycinate
BufferingTaurine
BufferingLysine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingArginine
MaskingHistidine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSerine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
HumectantThreonine
Valine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningGlycine
BufferingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
MaskingCitrus Sinensis Peel Extract
PerfumingPalmitoyl Olive Leaf Extract
AntioxidantMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Villosa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningSodium Bicarbonate
AbrasiveIsostearic Acid
CleansingWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantQuaternium-18
Quaternium-33
Cholesterol
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingDiethylhexyl Sebacate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Silk, Propolis Extract, Gamma-Docosalactone, Zinc Glycinate, Taurine, Lysine Hcl, Alanine, Arginine, Histidine Hcl, Serine, Proline, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Valine, Leucine, Glycine, Allantoin, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Citrus Sinensis Peel Extract, Palmitoyl Olive Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Sodium Bicarbonate, Isostearic Acid, Water, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Quaternium-18, Quaternium-33, Cholesterol, Alcohol Denat., Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Cyclopentasiloxane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientHydrolyzed Keratin
HumectantKeratin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantSericin
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicHydrolyzed Conchiolin Protein
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-61
Skin ConditioningPCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate
MoisturisingSodium PCA
HumectantPolylysine
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Phytosterols
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeGamma-Docosalactone
Skin ConditioningQuaternium-33
Water
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantDistearyldimonium Chloride
Alcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPropanediol
SolventParfum
MaskingCyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Myristate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Keratin, Hydrolyzed Silk, Sericin, Biotin, Hydrolyzed Conchiolin Protein, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Polyquaternium-61, PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate, Sodium PCA, Polylysine, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Phytosterols, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Gamma-Docosalactone, Quaternium-33, Water, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Diisostearyl Malate, Pentylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Alcohol Denat., Propanediol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.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 GlycolCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolWe don't have a description for Gamma-Docosalactone yet.
Hydrolyzed Keratin is derived from keratin. Keratin is a large protein that is naturally found in our hair and skin.
Studies show keratin is able to seal broken hair cuticles, helping to prevent split ends and breakage.
As a humectant, hydrolyzed keratin helps draw moisture from the air to your hair and skin. This helps keep your skin and hair hydrated.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed KeratinYou can find hydrolyzed silk in both haircare and skincare products. According to a manufacturer, it can help improve skin and hair hydration.
This ingredient is created by adding acid or enzymes to 'hydrolyze' silk protein.
Due to the origins of this ingredient, it is not vegan. Silk is an animal product from silkworms.
Depending on the source, this ingredient can be considered cruelty-free. It is created from left-over cocoons of silkworms. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about where their hydrolyzed silk comes from.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed SilkParfum 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 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.
Propylene 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 GlycolWe don't have a description for Quaternium-33 yet.
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