What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethiconol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Amodimethicone
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyquaternium-37
Trideceth-5
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientSteareth-20
CleansingCetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLinalool
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningCitronellol
Perfuming
Trideceth-10
CleansingPPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningGeraniol
Perfuming
Glycine
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Tyrosine
MaskingGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Serine
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningIsoeugenol
Perfuming
Safflower Glucoside
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Trehalose
Humectant
Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningMyrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf Extract
EmollientParfum
Masking
Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Amodimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-37, Trideceth-5, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Steareth-20, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Linalool, Glycerin, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Citronellol, Trideceth-10, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Geraniol, Glycine, Arginine, Proline, Tyrosine, Glutamic Acid, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Serine, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Isoeugenol, Safflower Glucoside, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Trehalose, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf Extract, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Vp/Dmapa Acrylates Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Polyquaternium-37
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientAmodimethicone
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Vinyl Caprolactam/Vp/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
PPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Linalool
Perfuming
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Limonene
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzalkonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Vp/Dmapa Acrylates Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Amodimethicone, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Vinyl Caprolactam/Vp/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Sodium Benzoate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Trideceth-12, Cetrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Linalool, Sorbitan Oleate, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol, Benzalkonium Chloride
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This water-soluble silicone is used for its hydrating and softening properties. It is used to add a silky feel to skincare products and has great benefits for haircare.
In haircare, this ingredient:
- Adds shine
- Protects color
- Offers thermal protection
- Boosts hair strength
- Does not build up as easily
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 AlcoholCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneGlycerin (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 GlycerinLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolParfum 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
We don't have a description for Polyquaternium-37 yet.
We don't have a description for PPG-1 Trideceth-6 yet.
This ingredient is an emollient designed to leave a non-greasy feel. It is also a skin conditioning agent and viscosity modifier.
Skin irritation studies for this ingredient (up to 80%) showed mimimal to no irritation.
One thing worth knowing: this ingredient may enhance the skin penetration of other ingredients.
Overall, this ingredient is a well-tolerated and lightweight emollient.
Learn more about Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/DicaprateWater. 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
