What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxypropylphosphate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxypropylphosphate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingIsopentane
SolventAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Sorbitol
Humectant
Isobutane
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingHexamethylindanopyran
Masking
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
Masking
Water, Palmitic Acid, Triethanolamine, Isopentane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sorbitan Stearate, Sorbitol, Isobutane, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Parfum, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phosphate, Hexamethylindanopyran, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidParfum 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
