What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecyl Myristate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Corn Starch Modified
AbsorbentCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Dicaprylyl Ether, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Glycerin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Corn Starch Modified, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Tocopherol, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Citronellol, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Geraniol
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Lauryl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalene
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract
TonicPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingCarthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBetula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPropanediol
Solvent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Pentastearate
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dextrin
AbsorbentSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Lauryl Esters, Squalene, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Diisostearyl Malate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Jojoba Esters, Water, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Adenosine, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Propanediol, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Pentastearate, Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dextrin, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCarbomer 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 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.
Water. 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
