What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGardenia Taitensis Flower
Skin ConditioningLeontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Jojoba Protein
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientLauryl Glucoside
CleansingNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyquaternium-11
Polyquaternium-37
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Parfum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Biotin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Gardenia Taitensis Flower, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Protein, Isododecane, Lauryl Glucoside, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-11, Polyquaternium-37, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyquaternium-10
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPvp
Emulsion StabilisingAmodimethicone
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Butylparaben
Masking
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
PEG-8 Methicone
Emollient
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Masking
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-10, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Pvp, Amodimethicone, Trideceth-12, Cetrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Hydrolyzed Keratin, PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone, PEG-8 Methicone, Cyclomethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Stearalkonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Parfum, Amyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, CI 17200
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChlorideParfum 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.
Water. 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
