What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Amodimethicone
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Linalool
Perfuming
Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Xylitol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Esters, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trideceth-6, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Cetrimonium Chloride, Linalool, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Glycerin, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Citral, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Xylitol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Parfum
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningAmaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentAcanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicParfum
Masking
Polyquaternium-7
Polyquaternium-10
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate, Propanediol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide Ng, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Arginine, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract, Biotin, Parfum, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid
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%.
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 AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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 Parfum
