What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Quaternium-80
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Mel
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Silk Amino Acids
HumectantEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Glycerin, Panthenol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Quaternium-80, Propylene Glycol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Mel, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Disodium EDTA, Silk Amino Acids, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Isopropyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, CI 14700, CI 19140, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Quaternium-80
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
Emollient
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
PEG-5 Cocomonium Methosulfate
Sodium Glutamate
MaskingHydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Casein
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Behentrimonium Chloride, Quaternium-80, Cyclohexasiloxane, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Benzyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, PEG-5 Cocomonium Methosulfate, Sodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Casein, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Tocopherol, Lactic Acid, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a preservative and often used for it's anti-static properties. You'll most likely see this ingredient in hair conditioners.
It does not cause irritation or sensitization in leave-on products at 1-5%.
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.
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 AlcoholThis ingredient is also known as Octinoxate and is one of the oldest and most widely used chemical UV filters in skincare.
It has a simple job: soap up UVB radiation (290-320 nm), the wavelengths responsible for sunburn and a big chunk of long-term sun damage.
In formulas, it's always paired with a separate UVA filter because octinoxate solely protects skin from UVB.
Because it's an oil-soluble liquid, it's easy to blend into the oil phase of lotions/creams and gives a cosmetically elegant feel.
The one quirk about formulating this ingredient is photostability; the molecule slowly changes shape into a less effective version when sunlight hits it. So the longer you're in the sun, the weaker its protection gets. The drop can be more than 30% in some formulas.
It also doesn't play nice with Avobenzone (the common UVA filter) since avobenzone destabilizes octinoxate and the two degrade each other. But don't worry: brands have solved this issue by adding photostabilizers like Tinosorb S to prevent degradation and keep SPF stable under heavy UV exposure.
The maximum allowed level is 10% in the EU and Australia, 7.5% in the US and Canada, and 20% in Japan.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics up to 10%.
One last thing worth knowing for context:
Octinoxate has been the subject of ongoing review in Europe where the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety's (SCCS) 2025 final opinion is that this ingredient is an endocrine-active substance.
Lab and animal studies suggest it can act a bit like a hormone in the body (mildly mimicking estrogen and slightly blocking male hormones). It's important to know this hasn't really been shown to happen in everyday human use.
This ingredient is also banned in Hawaii over coral reef concerns.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl MethoxycinnamateParfum 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 ParfumPhenyl Trimethicone is a silicon-based polymer. It is derived from silica.
Phenyl Trimethicone is used as an emollient and prevents products from foaming.
As an emollient, it helps trap moisture in the skin. It is considered an occlusive.
Learn more about Phenyl TrimethiconePropylene 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-80 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
