What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Emollient
Polyquaternium-11
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Simethicone
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Agave Americana Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-2 Cocoate
Emulsifying
CI 60725
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Isopropyl Myristate, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Cetrimonium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Polyquaternium-11, Phenyl Trimethicone, Simethicone, Parfum, Agave Americana Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycereth-2 Cocoate, CI 60725
Water
Skin ConditioningOctylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
PPG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Water, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil, Panthenol, Glycerin, Aminomethyl Propanol, Polysorbate 20, PEG-12 Dimethicone, PPG-12 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Citronellol, Coumarin
Reviews
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 āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā 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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Propylene 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 GlycolWater. 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
