What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Collagen
Moisturising
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Avium Wood Extract
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Amara Peel
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Tetrasodium EDTA
CI 47000
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16255
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 14720
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Carbomer, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Collagen, Phenoxyethanol, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Prunus Avium Wood Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel, Allantoin, Parfum, Cetrimonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, CI 47000, CI 16255, CI 17200, CI 14720
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Sodium Nitrate
SoothingCitric Acid
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingCI 74160
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Niacinamide, PEG-3 Distearate, Hydrated Silica, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Sodium Nitrate, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Phosphate, CI 74160
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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
