What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
BufferingCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningShorea Stenoptera Seed Butter
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCetyl Alcohol
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBHT
AntioxidantLactic Acid
BufferingLimonene
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingEugenol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingCoumarin
PerfumingWater, Urea, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Panthenol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Persea Gratissima Oil, Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, Carbomer, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, BHT, Lactic Acid, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Eugenol, Citral, Hydroxycitronellal, Coumarin
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
BufferingCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCanola Oil
EmollientBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientSilica
AbrasivePanthenol
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Glucoside
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingTriacetin
AntimicrobialSerine
MaskingParfum
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Lactate
BufferingHistidine
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingBacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeWater, Urea, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Canola Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Silica, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium Citrate, Triacetin, Serine, Parfum, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Histidine, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Bacillus Ferment, Potassium Sorbate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolParfum 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 ParfumUrea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.
Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:
Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.
Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.
As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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