What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract
Astringent
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Linalool
Perfuming
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialParfum
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMoringa Oil/Hydrogenated Moringa Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialOenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDecylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Isoeugenol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Parfum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalane, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Moringa Oil/Hydrogenated Moringa Oil Esters, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Decylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Disodium EDTA, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Allantoin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Panthenol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Coumarin, Isoeugenol, Citral, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citral is the molecule responsible for the fresh lemon scent in lemon, lime, and lemongrass. It is a fragrance ingredient that can be created from plant essential oils or synthetically.
Though Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1% so there's likely no skin benefit.
You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.
Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
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 CitralGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexyl Cinnamal is a fragrance ingredient with a similar scent to jasmine. It can be naturally found in chamomile essential oil.
This ingredient is a known EU allergen and may sensitize the skin. The EU requires this ingredient to be listed separately on an ingredients list.
Hexyl Cinnamal is not water soluble but is soluble in oils.
Learn more about Hexyl CinnamalLimonene 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 LinaloolParfum 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
