What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Isononanoate
EmollientEthylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCeteareth-20
CleansingButylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer
Parfum
Masking
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ceteareth-20, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Parfum, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Hydroxide, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Steareth-21
CleansingPolyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingDMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Disodium EDTA
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Petrolatum, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Steareth-2, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Steareth-21, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, DMDM Hydantoin, Parfum, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Titanium Dioxide, Disodium EDTA, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylparaben is a preservative, is a paraben, and is not reef safe.
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 GlycerinMagnesium Aluminum Silicate is a type of silica. It comes from naturally occuring minerals such as silicate ores and clay.
Magnesium aluminum silicate is used for enhancing texture and as an absorbent. Due to its large molecular size, it is unable to be absorbed into the skin.
Like other types of silica, this ingredient can be used to thicken a product. As an absorbent, it may be used to absorb extra water or help prevent clumping.
Although “aluminum” in an ingredient name can raise red flags for some consumers, the form and usage context matter significantly. For typical topical applications, there is no substantial evidence of health risks - such as cancer, neurotoxicity, or systemic “aluminum overload.”
Learn more about Magnesium Aluminum SilicateMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumParfum 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 ParfumWater. 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
