What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Ricinoleate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChondrus Crispus Powder
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco-Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Salicylic Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Parfum, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyacrylamide
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Algae Extract
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingMica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Acrylates/Vinyl Isodecanoate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Masking
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Polyacrylamide, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Algae Extract, Dimethicone, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Acrylates/Vinyl Isodecanoate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, Limonene, Citral, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Hydroxycitronellal
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 a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCitral is the molecule responsible for the fresh lemon scent in lemon, lime, and lemongrass. It is a fragrance ingredient that can be created from plant essential oils or synthetically.
Though Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1% so there's likely no skin benefit.
You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.
Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
The term '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.
Learn more about CitralGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneParfum 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 ParfumWater. 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
