What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPvp
Emulsion StabilisingAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Vp/Va Copolymer
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Ceteareth-25
CleansingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-20m
Emulsion StabilisingCeteareth-20
CleansingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Silica
Abrasive
Coumarin
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Pvp, Alcohol Denat., Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vp/Va Copolymer, Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Ceteareth-25, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-20m, Ceteareth-20, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Silica, Coumarin, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Tapioca Starch
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Avena Sativa Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Protein
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Ceteareth-20
CleansingLaureth-4
Emulsifying
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Malic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Benzoic Acid
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Tapioca Starch, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil, Avena Sativa Peptide, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Protein, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch, Cetrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Ceteareth-20, Laureth-4, Ethyl Macadamiate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Malic Acid, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Citronellol, Coumarin
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 AcidCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCoumarins are a group of substances found naturally in plants. There are over 1300 types of coumarins identified. It has a natural vanilla scent.
Coumarin is an identified EU known allergy, meaning it may cause an allergic reaction when applied to the skin.
In many countries, coumarin is banned as a food additive. However, it can be found in soaps, tobacco products, and some alcohol drinks.
Plants use coumarins as a chemical defense. Some plants that have coumarins include lavender, tonka beans, and yellow clovers.
Learn more about CoumarinLimonene 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 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
