What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
PEG-8
HumectantPolyquaternium-7
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
Humectant
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-8, Polyquaternium-7, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Chloride, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, CI 19140, CI 15985, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Limonene
Perfuming
Hydrogenated Rosin
Perfuming
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Polyquaternium-7
Pinus Sylvestris Bark Extract
Perfuming
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-14m
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRehmannia Chinensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Lactiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningLilium Candidum Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningMethoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone
BufferingHoney
Humectant
Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Extract
TonicEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Myristic Acid, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Limonene, Hydrogenated Rosin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Polyquaternium-7, Pinus Sylvestris Bark Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, PEG-14m, Disodium EDTA, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone, Honey, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPalmitic 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 ParfumPolyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.
According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideStearic 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
