What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCamellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingCitrus Reticulata Peel Oil
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin ProtectingRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil
EmollientVanillin
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
MaskingSodium Phytate
ChelatingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeLinalool
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingWater, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil, Tocopherol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Vanillin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Sodium Phytate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientLecithin
EmollientSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
ChelatingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingCitronellol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingWater, Isopropyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Persea Gratissima Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Lecithin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Aminomethyl Propanol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Citronellol, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Citral
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlyceryl 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 StearateLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a small, naturally occurring scent molecule found in plants like lavender, coriander, bergamot, and more.
It is one of the two most-used fragrance ingredients in cosmetics and added purely for smell. Since it's not used for a skin benefit, there's no "effective dose". Concentration depends on the fragrance load of the product.
The EU requires it to be named on the label above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
Fresh linalool is a weak sensitizer but air exposure turns some of it into hydroperoxides, which are strong sensitizers. Those oxidation products are the actual allergy concern.
Patch-test clinics see positive reactions to linalool hydroperoxides in about 4% to 12% of dermatitis patients depending on country and test concentration.
Resassuringly, one analytical study found hydroperoxide levels in real fragranced products to be orders of magnitude below what induced sensitization in animal studies with no evidence of oxidation building up during normal storage.
The practical takeaway is that linalool is fine for most people but worth avoiding if you have a confirmed fragrance contact allergy or a badly compromised barrier.
Products stored a long time after opening are also the high-risk scenario since that is when oxidation happens.
The scent of linalool is described as floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolRosa Canina Fruit Oil is a non-fragrant plant oil that has earned its skincare reputation through chemistry.
It's dominated by fatty acids like linoleic acid (~35-55%), alpha-linolenic acid (~17-27%), and oleic acid (~14-22%). This is the exact profile that supports skin barrier, locks in hydration, and calms inflammation.
A 2024 review found evidence for the Rosa canina species supports its use for scarring, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and atopic dermatitis; this was mostly credited to its vitamin C content and fatty acid composition as the primary active mechanisms.
You might see this ingredient marketed as a "natural retinol". Some rosehip seed oils contains traces of all-trans-retinoic acid but these trace amounts are far below biologically active levels.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has deemed this ingredient safe and it's well-tolerated.
Fungal acne: The fatty acids of this oil fall into the C11-24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Rosa Canina Fruit OilWater. 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