What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Hydrofluorocarbon 152a
Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-14 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Limonene
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
CleansingAlcohol Denat., Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Water, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenyl Trimethicone, PEG-14 Dimethicone, Triethyl Citrate, Parfum, Glycerin, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzophenone-4, Panthenol, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningOctylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Polyurethane-6
Glycerin
Humectant
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPEG-14 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract
AstringentCoumarin
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Isoeugenol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Alcohol Denat., Water, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Polyurethane-6, Glycerin, Aminomethyl Propanol, PEG-14 Dimethicone, Parfum, Triethyl Citrate, Limonene, Benzophenone-4, Hexyl Cinnamal, Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Coumarin, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxycitronellal, Amyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Cinnamyl Alcohol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Aminomethyl Propanol is used to adjust the pH of products. It is also used as a base to create other organic compounds. Having a balanced pH is important for protecting your skin.
Aminomethyl propanol is safe to use in cosmetics up to 1%. It is soluble in water.
Benzophenone-4 is a water-soluble chemical sunscreen.
It protects in the UV-B range, but is considered a secondary UV absorber. This means that it needs to be paired with other sunscreen ingredients to provide effective protection.
Typically, it's used in cosmetic products to protect them from deterioration caused by UV rays. This is why you'll find it in a lot of products that aren't sunscreens.
Learn more about Benzophenone-4Glycerin (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 GlycerinHexyl 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 CinnamalLimonene 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 LimoneneLinalool 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 LinaloolWe don't have a description for Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer yet.
Parfum 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 ParfumPEG-14 Dimethicone is a type of silicone.
Triethyl Citrate comes from citric acid. It has masking, perfuming, and solvent properties. As a solvent, this ingredient helps disperse ingredients evenly in skincare.
One manufacturer claims this ingredient can:
According to perfume manufacturers, this ingredient is almost odorless but has a mild fruity, wine and plum scent. It can be used to mask the scent of other ingredients.
This ingredient can be plant-sourced or synthetic; it can naturally be found in cabbage and white wine.
Learn more about Triethyl CitrateWater. 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
