What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentAcetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dextran
Ethyltrimonium Chloride Methacrylate/Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Copolymer
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Panthenol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Dextran, Ethyltrimonium Chloride Methacrylate/Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Limonene, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingLinum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Solanum Lycopersicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Adansonia Digitata Oil
Emollient
Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientCinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
Dextran
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Xylitol
Humectant
Caprylic Acid
CleansingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isoamyl Laurate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Pisum Sativum Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Adansonia Digitata Oil, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Dextran, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Xylitol, Caprylic Acid, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This biometic peptide is designed to support hair growth.
According to a manufacturer, it stimulates hair growth by:
The manufacturer has found combining this ingredient with red clover extract (Capixyl) boosted benefits. Not only does it enforce the scalp's extracellular matrix, it also inhibits the enzyme that creates DHT, a hormone that leads to hair loss.
While this ingredient is promising, more research is still needed to confirm its full effectiveness.
Learn more about Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3This ingredient is a preservative and often used for it's anti-static properties. You'll most likely see this ingredient in hair conditioners.
It does not cause irritation or sensitization in leave-on products at 1-5%.
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 GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCitric 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 AcidDextran is a sugar (polysaccharide) with skin hydrating properties.
Fun fact: Louis Pasteur first discovered this ingredient as a microbial product in wine.
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 GlycerinThis extract comes from the flower more commonly known as red clover.
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
