What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentMentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Laurus Nobilis Leaf Extract
MaskingOcimum Basilicum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Arctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCymbopogon Flexuosus Herb Extract
Perfuming
Thymus Vulgaris Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingHydrolyzed Oat Flour
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Laurus Nobilis Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Cymbopogon Flexuosus Herb Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cinnamal, Citral, Eugenol, Geraniol, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilWater. 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
