What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantCitrus 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
MaskingPogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
MaskingMentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
MaskingFerula Galbaniflua Gum Extract
AntimicrobialLimonene
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, 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, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Ferula Galbaniflua Gum Extract, Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantDicaprylyl Maleate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingStearic Acid
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetyl Dimethicone
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantPalmitoyl Oligopeptide
CleansingPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantHydrolyzed Lupine Protein Octenylsuccinate
Skin ProtectingAlaria Esculenta Extract
Skin ProtectingHydrolyzed Soy Protein
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantNymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientDicetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCeteth-10 Phosphate
CleansingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialGeraniol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingCitrus Medica Peel Oil
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingCymbopogon Martini Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantifolia Oil
CleansingJuniperus Mexicana Oil
MaskingTagetes Minuta Flower Oil
MaskingMichelia Alba Flower Oil
MaskingWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Maleate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein Octenylsuccinate, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicetyl Phosphate, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Aminomethyl Propanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Geraniol, Limonene, Citrus Medica Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Tagetes Minuta Flower Oil, Michelia Alba Flower Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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 AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholChlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.
Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.
Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.
Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.
Learn more about ChlorphenesinCitrus 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 OilGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateLimonene 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 LimonenePelargonium 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 OilPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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