What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Cellulose
Absorbent
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Potassium Lactate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate
StabilisingPantolactone
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Anise Alcohol
Perfuming
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Betaine, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Fructooligosaccharides, Cellulose, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Potassium Lactate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate, Pantolactone, Citric Acid, Anise Alcohol, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentTalc
Abrasive
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Cucumis Sativus Juice
EmollientPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trisodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Glyceryl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Distarch Phosphate, Talc, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Myristyl Myristate, Octyldodecanol, Cucumis Sativus Juice, Propylene Glycol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Trisodium EDTA, BHT, Linalool, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Parfum, CI 42090
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 AlcoholCi 42090 is a synthetic dye created from petroleum. It is used to give a bright blue color to cosmetics, medicine, and food.
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 GlycerinOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Parfum 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
