What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingJojoba Esters
EmollientGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
EmollientSteareth-21
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientDistearyldimonium Chloride
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientAmmonium Lactate
BufferingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide Eos
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
AntioxidantCaprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBehenic Acid
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantDimethiconol
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantStearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Polysorbate 60
EmulsifyingCeteareth-25
CleansingCaprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientEDTA
Methylparaben
PreservativeParfum
MaskingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Dimethicone, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Jojoba Esters, Gluconolactone, Petrolatum, Steareth-21, Cetyl Alcohol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ammonium Lactate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Ceramide NP, Panthenol, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Eos, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Ceramide EOP, Bisabolol, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Behenic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, Ceramide AP, Propylene Glycol, Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Ceteareth-25, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Cholesterol, EDTA, Methylparaben, Parfum, Potassium Hydroxide, Caramel
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientUbiquinone
AntioxidantCarnitine
CleansingCreatine
Skin Conditioning1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDimethicone
EmollientSodium Cetearyl Sulfate
CleansingTapioca Starch
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLinalool
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Alcohol Denat., Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glyceryl Stearate, Ubiquinone, Carnitine, Creatine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Tapioca Starch, Sodium Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linalool, Citronellol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone 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 DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParfum 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