What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningPCA
Humectant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenylalanine
Masking
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingThreonine
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Valine
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Citric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Histidine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Isoleucine, PCA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenylalanine, Polysorbate 60, Proline, Serine, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Phosphate, Threonine, Tocopherol, Valine, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-11
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Octanediol
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Phosphate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Hexamethylindanopyran
Masking
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Water, Polyquaternium-11, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, Octanediol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Propylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Hexamethylindanopyran, Benzyl Salicylate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium Phosphate is a water-soluble powder used as a pH adjuster and mild chelating agent. It basically holds a specific pH and binds stray metal ions so your product stays stable.
This ingredient is usually used at very low levels and concentrations range from 0.000054% - 2.9%. The CIR Expert Panel states this ingredient to be non-irritating at current use levels.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseParfum 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.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Sodium Phosphate is is behind-the-scenes formulation helper. Its main job is buffering, or locking in the product's pH.
This helps ensure the formula stays at its intended acidity through manufacturing, shipping, and sitting on your shelf. Many active ingredients like vitamin C or retinoids are pH sensitive so maintaining their happy pH range matters.
It is synthetic and reported use concentrations are very low (up to 0.086% in face powders).
Learn more about Sodium PhosphateWater. 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
