What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantMethyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPolyquaternium-32
Paraffinum Liquidum
EmollientPPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-2 Cocoate
EmulsifyingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Leaf Extract
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Extract
BleachingTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingParfum
MaskingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCitral
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-10, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Polyquaternium-32, Paraffinum Liquidum, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycereth-2 Cocoate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-11
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningAmodimethicone
Cetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-2 Cocoate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone PEG-8 Meadowfoamate
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPEG-75 Lanolin
EmollientHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantBambusa Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingAmyl Cinnamal
PerfumingEugenol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingWater, Polyquaternium-11, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Amodimethicone, Cetrimonium Chloride, Trideceth-12, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycereth-2 Cocoate, Glycerin, Dimethicone PEG-8 Meadowfoamate, Panthenol, Polysorbate 20, PEG-75 Lanolin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Parfum, Hydrolyzed Silk, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, CI 17200, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Amyl Cinnamal, Eugenol, Geraniol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlycereth-2 Cocoate can be bad for dry skin.
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.
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