What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Dipalmitoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate
Parfum
Masking
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Linalool
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningCitronellol
Perfuming
BHT
Antioxidant
Glycine
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Tyrosine
MaskingGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Geraniol
Perfuming
Serine
Masking
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Safflower Glucoside
Isoeugenol
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningMyrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf Extract
EmollientWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Dipalmitoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Parfum, Cetyl Esters, Cetrimonium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Linalool, Citric Acid, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Citronellol, BHT, Glycine, Arginine, Proline, Tyrosine, Glutamic Acid, Geraniol, Serine, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Benzyl Alcohol, Safflower Glucoside, Isoeugenol, Glycerin, Trehalose, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Parfum
Masking
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Starch
Skin ConditioningCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Niacin
SmoothingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Acetic Acid
BufferingHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantPropanediol
Solvent
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Parfum, Behentrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch, Cetrimonium Chloride, Persea Gratissima Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Yeast Extract, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Niacin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Acetic Acid, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Caramel, Propanediol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzoic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl 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.
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 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 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
