What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantLavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin ConditioningMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Melatonin
AntioxidantDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Propylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Methyl Gluceth-20, Niacinamide, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Allantoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Melatonin, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientIsohexadecane
EmollientZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentSilica
AbrasiveHydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
CleansingDimethicone
EmollientPalmitic Acid
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-20 Stearate
EmulsifyingBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethiconol
EmollientArginine PCA
HumectantSerine
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingAcrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantSodium Benzoate
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclohexasiloxane, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Isohexadecane, Zea Mays Starch, Silica, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Beeswax, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, PEG-20 Stearate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethiconol, Arginine PCA, Serine, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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