What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientCeteareth-20
CleansingPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantGlycereth-26
HumectantParfum
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPEG-20 Stearate
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantTriethanolamine
BufferingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialLinalool
PerfumingDiazolidinyl Urea
PreservativeMethylisothiazolinone
PreservativeCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Ceteareth-20, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Parfum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Persea Gratissima Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Panthenol, PEG-20 Stearate, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylisothiazolinone, CI 19140, CI 16035
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycol Stearate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientParfum
MaskingDimethicone
EmollientBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantCeteareth-20
CleansingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningPPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-11
Polyquaternium-37
Polyquaternium-72
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientC10-40 Isoalkylamidopropylethyldimonium Ethosulfate
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEugenol
PerfumingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingHydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
MaskingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycol Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Ceteareth-20, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Polyquaternium-11, Polyquaternium-37, Polyquaternium-72, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, C10-40 Isoalkylamidopropylethyldimonium Ethosulfate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Eugenol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You may know this ingredient as argan oil. It has emollient and skin conditioning properties that help soften skin and reinforce the lipid barrier.
The fatty acid profile of argan oil is roughly 45-55% oleic acid, 28-36% linoleic acid, 10-15% palmitic acid, and 5-7% stearic acid. It also contains vitamin E, sterols, squalene, and polyphenols like ferulic acid.
Two clinical studies in postmenopausal women found that applying argan oil for 60 days significantly improved skin elasticity and moisturization (reduced transepidermal water loss and increased epidermal water content).
Since it is high in oleic and linoleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Both of these fall in the C11-C24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Argania Spinosa Kernel OilCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTALinalool 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 ParfumWater. 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