What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantLauryl Glucoside
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingGlycol Distearate
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingJuniperus Mexicana Wood Oil
PerfumingCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
MaskingLitsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
MaskingCitrus Paradisi Peel Oil
MaskingTriethylene Glycol
MaskingMentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
MaskingPogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingPropylene Glycol
HumectantFerula Galbaniflua Gum Extract
AntimicrobialMagnesium Nitrate
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
PreservativeMagnesium Chloride
Methylisothiazolinone
PreservativeLimonene
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Lauryl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycol Distearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Wood Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Triethylene Glycol, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Ferula Galbaniflua Gum Extract, Magnesium Nitrate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Methylisothiazolinone, Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantBehenic Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingLauric Acid
CleansingStearic Acid
CleansingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingIllicium Verum Fruit Oil
PerfumingCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingMyristica Fragrans Kernel Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
MaskingCitrus Nobilis Peel Oil
MaskingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
MaskingLitsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
MaskingHibiscus Abelmoschus Extract
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingAnogeissus Leiocarpus Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientJasminum Officinale Flower Wax
EmollientSodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingPEG-3 Distearate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPhytantriol
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
PreservativeMethylisothiazolinone
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEssential Oils
Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Behenic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Illicium Verum Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Myristica Fragrans Kernel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Hibiscus Abelmoschus Extract, Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene, Anogeissus Leiocarpus Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower Wax, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, PEG-3 Distearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytantriol, Disodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Phenoxyethanol, Essential Oils
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".
Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.
Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.
Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,
Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.
Learn more about CitronellolCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is the oil from the bergamot orange and is primarily used as a fragrance. It has a "fresh" and "bright orange" scent.
The main aroma compounds found in this ingredient are limonene (~27-52%), linalool (~2-22%), and linalyl acetate (~27-40%). These are known EU fragrance allergens.
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.
When used topically, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is a photosensitizer due to the furanocoumarin content. Furanocoumarins absorb UV-A and cause phytophotodermatitis; this can look like redness, blistering, and lasting brown pigmentation on sun-exposed skin.
Due to this, this ingredient is capped at 0.4% in leave-on products applied to sun exposed skin.
Many modern formulas used a "furanocoumarin-free" version that sidesteps the phototoxicity issue, but still contains the fragrance allergens.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit OilCitrus Limon Peel Oil is created from the peels of the lemon. It is used to add a lemon-scent to products. Lemon peel oil also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. However, it may also cause phototoxicity and sensitize skin.
Lemon peel oil contains limonene, a skin sensitizing ingredient. Another component is furanocoumarin, which induces phototoxicity in skin.
Furanocoumarins bind and destabilize your DNA to increase the rate of sunburn.
Most reputable companies will remove furanocoumarins from their formulations.
Learn more about Citrus Limon Peel OilGlycerin (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 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 LinaloolLitsea Cubeba Fruit Oil is also known as May Chang essential oil. It is mostly used as a fragrance ingredient and has a bright, sweet, and lemony scent.
The main fragrance compounds in this ingredient are citral (~70-85%) and limonene.
Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), but real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1%.
The main thing worth knowing is that citral is a known EU fragrance allergen so people with known fragrance sensitivities may want to skip it.
Unlike citrus oils, May Chang doesn't contain furocoumarins and therefore isn't phototoxic.
Learn more about Litsea Cubeba Fruit OilMethylchloroisothiazolinone, or MCI, is a synthetic preservative used to protect against the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi in water-based products.
MCI is commonly combined with methylisothiazolinone (MI) in a 3:1 ratio.
This ingredient is safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-sensitizing and concentrations must not exceed 7.5 ppm in leave-on products / 15 ppm in rinse-off products.
Unfortunately, this ingredient has a well-documented sensitization story. Studies spanning several decades have shown this ingredient + MI to cause skin irritation and allergies.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
This just means this ingredient is most likely non-sensitizing in rinse-off products unless you've been diagnosed with a contact allergy to isothiazolinones.
Learn more about MethylchloroisothiazolinoneMI is a preservative and known skin irritant. In the past, MI was used for its ability to prevent bacteria, yeast, and fungi growth in low doses.
Nowadays, you'll most likely see MI combined with Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI).
Since then, numerous studies have shown this ingredient to cause contact dermatitis, or skin irritation.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
Learn more about MethylisothiazolinonePelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil is the pressed oil of the Rose Geranium plant. It is volatile, meaning it evaporates off the skin.
Fragrant components of Rose Geranium include citronellol and geraniol. These may cause allergies and skin-sensitivity. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
The scent of Rose Geranium closely resembles traditional roses.
Learn more about Pelargonium Graveolens Flower OilWater. 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