What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Pvp/Va Copolymer
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialOleth-5
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Wheat Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningSilk Amino Acids
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Water, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Pvp/Va Copolymer, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Carbomer, Parfum, Aminomethyl Propanol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Hexylene Glycol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Oleth-5, Disodium EDTA, Wheat Amino Acids, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Silk Amino Acids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Babassu Oil Polyglyceryl-4 Esters
Surfactant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Chondrus Crispus
Masking
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Carapa Guaianensis Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Ocimum Basilicum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingPiper Nigrum Seed Extract
RefreshingSelaginella Lepidophylla Extract
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Pinene
Masking
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Babassu Oil Polyglyceryl-4 Esters, Sorbitol, Chondrus Crispus, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Carapa Guaianensis Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ocimum Basilicum Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Piper Nigrum Seed Extract, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Pinene, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
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 also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterGlycerin (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 ParfumThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractWater. 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
