What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Esters, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Linalool, Amyl Cinnamal, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingChlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Amodimethicone
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Citronellol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Esters, Niacinamide, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Phenoxyethanol, Trideceth-6, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Limonene, Panthenol, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Isopropyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Citric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Cetrimonium Chloride, Citronellol, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parfum
Reviews
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 AlcoholCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetyl Esters is an emollient with an interesting backstory: it's a synthetic wax originally designed to be a copy of spermaceti, a waxy material that used to be harvested from whales.
This ingredient delivers the same "velvety" feel without anything animal-derived (usually made from coconut or palm-sourced fatty alcohols/acids).
Chemically, it's a blend of esters from 14-18 fatty acids and alcohols that is a solid at room temperature but melts on contact with skin. It helps soften and smooth the skin while improving the feel and spread of products.
Typical use concentrations range from 1-10% (most commonly 2-5%).
The CIR Expert Panel has concluded it's safe as used and has shown no skin irritation in available studies.
Because it's a blend of fatty acid esters in the chain-length range that Malassezia can feed on, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetyl EstersCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidHexyl Cinnamal is a fragrance ingredient with a similar scent to jasmine. It can be naturally found in chamomile essential oil.
This ingredient is a known EU allergen and may sensitize the skin. The EU requires this ingredient to be listed separately on an ingredients list.
Hexyl Cinnamal is not water soluble but is soluble in oils.
Learn more about Hexyl CinnamalWe don't have a description for Hydrolyzed Corn Protein yet.
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein is a vegan protein made to mimic hydrolyzed collagen. It is created from soy, or glycine soja.
This ingredient is a humectant, meaning it helps hydrate the skin by binding to water. According to a manufacturer, it is also a great hair conditioner.
Read more about hydrolyzed collagen here.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Soy ProteinThis ingredient is a plant-derived protein made by breaking down wheat proteins into smaller amino acids and peptides. It has skin and hair conditioning properties.
People with known wheat allergy or a history of immediate reactions should be cautious with leave-on products containing hydrolyzed wheat proteins.
Linalool 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.
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
