What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientCetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingCalcium Benzoate
PreservativeSodium Hydroxide
BufferingIsopropyl Alcohol
SolventParfum
MaskingCitral
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Cetrimonium Chloride, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum, Citral, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientParfum
MaskingQuaternium-91
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantHydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract
Tamarindus Indica Extract
SmoothingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingPCA
HumectantGlycine
BufferingAlanine
MaskingSerine
MaskingValine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Histidine
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantBrassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer
Skin ConditioningCetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialGlycerin
HumectantBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeMyristyl Myristate
EmollientSilicone Quaternium-16
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
HumectantUndeceth-11
EmollientButyloctanol
HumectantGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningUndeceth-5
EmulsifyingSilicone Quaternium-8
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
BufferingAcetic Acid
BufferingTrideceth-10
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingGeranyl Acetate
PerfumingHexamethylindanopyran
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingRose Ketones
PerfumingWater, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Parfum, Quaternium-91, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Tamarindus Indica Extract, Panthenol, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Cetrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Myristyl Myristate, Silicone Quaternium-16, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Undeceth-11, Butyloctanol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Undeceth-5, Silicone Quaternium-8, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Acetic Acid, Trideceth-10, Tocopherol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Geranyl Acetate, Hexamethylindanopyran, Linalool, Rose Ketones
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 a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Dimethicone 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 DimethiconeLinalool 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