What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Saponins
CleansingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Geraniol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Parfum, Saponins, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Citric Acid, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Amyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Urea
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Vinegar
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract
AstringentRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Geraniol
Perfuming
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Linalool
Perfuming
Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Persica Fruit Extract
Abrasive
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitral
Perfuming
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRibes Nigrum Bud Oil
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Urea, Panthenol, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Vinegar, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Propylene Glycol, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 80, Geraniol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Linalool, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ribes Nigrum Bud Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.
Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.
Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.
Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.
Learn more about ChlorphenesinGeraniol 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 GeraniolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolParfum 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 80 is a synthetic surfactant and emulsifier derived from sorbitol and oleic acid.
It reduces the surface tension between oil and water phases to help them stay mixed and stable in a formulation. In other words, it prevents your formulas from separating into an oily mess.
The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the scientific data and found this ingredient to be safe, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing at concentrations up to 5% (it's even approved by the FDA as an OTC eye drop ingredient).
Learn more about Polysorbate 80Propylene 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 GlycolSodium Dehydroacetate is a synthetic preservative and sodium salt form of dehydroacetic acid. It stops bacteria, mold, and yeast from growing in your products at low concentrations.
Clinical testing found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing. It's also not significantly absorbed through skin.
There are a very small number of reported cases of contact dermatitis in cases linked to wound-care creams used over compromised skin (rather than skincare).
Overall, this is a well-studied and low-risk preservative just doing its job.
Typical concentrations run up to 0.6%, which is also the maximum amount permitted under both EU CosIng regulations and US FDA guidelines.
Learn more about Sodium DehydroacetateWater. 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
