What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Propanediol
Solvent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSchisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMethyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Eugenol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Disodium EDTA, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene, Adenosine, Sodium Hydroxide, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Citric Acid, Eugenol, Sodium Benzoate, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citral, Potassium Sorbate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Citronellol, Linalool, Geraniol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Zea Mays Germ Oil
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylamide
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMethylparaben
Preservative
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Castanea Sativa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Menthol
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingButylparaben
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Glyceryl Linolenate
Emollient
Propylparaben
Preservative
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Juice
Skin Conditioning
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Zea Mays Germ Oil, Panthenol, Triethanolamine, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Linoleate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether, Polyacrylamide, Dimethiconol, Glyceryl Oleate, Carbomer, Cetyl Alcohol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Parfum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Methylparaben, Glycine Soja Oil, Caffeine, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Benzophenone-4, Menthol, Limonene, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Laureth-7, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Butylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Ethylparaben, Glyceryl Linolenate, Propylparaben, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice, Citrus Limon Juice, Linalool, Citral, CI 42090, CI 14700
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Citral is a fragrance and used to add a lemon-like scent to products. It is both naturally found in plants and created synthetically. In plants, it is commonly occurring in lemon myrtle, lemongrass, lemon tea-tree, lemon verbena, and other citruses.
The EU mandates Citral be listed separately as a fragrance. It is a known allergen and may cause contact dermatitis. Citral can also used as a masking ingredient.
The term '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.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
Learn more about CitralDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool 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 LinaloolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
