What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Guar
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Dimethyl Phenylethyl Carbinyl Acetate
Perfuming
Pinene
Masking
Rose Ketones
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
3-Methyl-5-(2,2,3-Trimethyl-3-Cyclopentenyl)Pent-4-En-2-Ol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Carvone
Masking
Benzaldehyde
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Caprylyl Glycol, Tartaric Acid, Cetyl Esters, Benzoic Acid, Linalool, Geraniol, Dimethyl Phenylethyl Carbinyl Acetate, Pinene, Rose Ketones, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, 3-Methyl-5-(2,2,3-Trimethyl-3-Cyclopentenyl)Pent-4-En-2-Ol, Coumarin, Limonene, Citronellol, Carvone, Benzaldehyde, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Amodimethicone
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Lemon Protein
HumectantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citrus Limon Peel Extract
EmollientLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Cetyl Esters, Behentrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trideceth-6, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hcl, Hexyl Cinnamal, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Citric Acid, Cetrimonium Chloride, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Amyl Cinnamal, Tocopherol, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Lemon Protein, CI 19140, CI 15985, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
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 most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetyl Esters is a synthetic wax made up of mostly fatty acids and fatty alcohols. It is strcturally similar to wax taken from whales.
As an emollient, it creates a thin barrier on the skin. This barrier prevents moisture from escaping.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Cetyl EstersLinalool 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 ParfumWater. 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
