What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMarrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium EDTA
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Coumarin
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Palmitate, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Sorbitan Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, Parfum, Coumarin, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, CI 42090, CI 15510, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethiconol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingParfum
Masking
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citrus Grandis Extract
AntimicrobialCitrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Toluene Sulfonic Acid
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, PEG-8, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Parfum, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Citrus Grandis Extract, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Toluene Sulfonic Acid, Benzyl Benzoate, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
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
