What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Triclosan
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Water, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Myristic Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Kojic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Triclosan, Allantoin, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tocopherol, Ascorbic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Decyloxazolidinone
AntimicrobialPolyglycerin-3
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Squalane
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Alumina
Abrasive
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingVitis Vinifera Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantBotrytis Cinerea Ferment Lysate Filtrate
EmollientPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Linalool
Perfuming
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-7
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantTin Oxide
Abrasive
Methylsilanol Tri-PEG-8 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
BHT
Antioxidant
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Decyloxazolidinone, Polyglycerin-3, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Squalane, Polysorbate 60, Alumina, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Vitis Vinifera Vine Extract, Parfum, CI 77891, Botrytis Cinerea Ferment Lysate Filtrate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Linalool, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Polyquaternium-7, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, CI 19140, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Eugenol, Tocopherol, CI 14700, Tin Oxide, Methylsilanol Tri-PEG-8 Glyceryl Cocoate, BHT, CI 42090
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinParfum 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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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
