What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingHydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysilicone-9
Polyquaternium-10
Aminopropyl Dimethicone
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Quaternium-91
Cetrimonium Methosulfate
AntimicrobialLaureth-23
Cleansing
Laureth-4
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-55
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMalic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Laneth-40 Maleate/Styrene Sulfonate Copolymer
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Propylene Glycol, Polysilicone-9, Polyquaternium-10, Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Cetrimonium Chloride, Quaternium-91, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Laureth-23, Laureth-4, Polyquaternium-55, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Malic Acid, Sodium Laneth-40 Maleate/Styrene Sulfonate Copolymer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Benzyl Alcohol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Water
Skin ConditioningAlmond Milk
Coconut Milk
Oat Milk
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Parfum
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
C13-15 Alkane
SolventCitrus Limon Juice
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Masking
Dipteryx Odorata Seed Extract
MaskingVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Anise Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Cinnamate
Perfuming
Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Almond Milk, Coconut Milk, Oat Milk, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Parfum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethyl Macadamiate, C13-15 Alkane, Citrus Limon Juice, Propylene Glycol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Behentrimonium Chloride, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Dipteryx Odorata Seed Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Cetrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Anise Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Cinnamate, Cinnamal, Citral, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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%.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholThis ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Glyceryl 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 StearateParfum 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 ParfumPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
