What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Glycerin
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientRosa Damascena Flower Extract
MaskingSaccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Lactate
BufferingSodium PCA
HumectantGlycine
BufferingFructose
HumectantUrea
BufferingNiacinamide
SmoothingInositol
HumectantLactic Acid
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeLecithin
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoco-Caprylate
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
MaskingAmyl Cinnamal
PerfumingCinnamyl Alcohol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Stearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Glycine, Fructose, Urea, Niacinamide, Inositol, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Caprylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Amyl Cinnamal, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientBetaine
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventAllantoin
Skin ConditioningKaolin
AbrasiveSalicylic Acid
MaskingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantOcimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantOryza Sativa Starch
AbsorbentSodium Phytate
Benzyl Alcohol
PerfumingBenzoic Acid
MaskingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeLimonene
PerfumingWater, Dicaprylyl Ether, Betaine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Allantoin, Kaolin, Salicylic Acid, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Oryza Sativa Starch, Sodium Phytate, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholDehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.
As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.
It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.
Learn more about Dehydroacetic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitratePotassium 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 SorbateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum