What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningCoconut Alkanes
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Soy Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningWheat Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningIsomalt
HumectantArginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Threonine
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Allium Cepa Bulb Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Nigella Sativa Seed Extract
Perfuming
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
HumectantTrigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Withania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glyoxal
Antimicrobial
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Pisum Sativum Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Polyquaternium-7
Xylitol
Humectant
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Coconut Alkanes, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Soy Amino Acids, Wheat Amino Acids, Isomalt, Arginine Hcl, Serine, Threonine, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Allium Cepa Bulb Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Nigella Sativa Seed Extract, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Panthenol, Glyoxal, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Pisum Sativum Sprout Extract, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Xylitol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Isopropyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Canola Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Polyquaternium-59
UV AbsorberHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Canola Oil, Glycine Soja Sterols, Glycolipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-59, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phospholipids, Lactic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Butylene Glycol, Benzophenone-4, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateHydroxyethylcellulose 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 HydroxyethylcelluloseLimonene 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.
Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholWater. 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
