What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Guar
Emulsion StabilisingBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hibiscus Esculentus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Benzoate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sclerotium Gum, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Hibiscus Esculentus Seed Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningAmodimethicone
Trideceth-5
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-37
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Trideceth-10
CleansingPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Arginine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
PPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Serine
Masking
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningChlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Quaternium-87
Cleansing2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningXylose
HumectantLinalool
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Amodimethicone, Trideceth-5, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Glycerin, Trideceth-10, Phenyl Trimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Arginine, Glutamic Acid, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Benzyl Salicylate, Serine, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Benzyl Alcohol, Quaternium-87, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Xylose, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Citronellol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholBenzyl Salicylate is a solvent and fragrance additive. It is an ester of benzyl alcohol and salicylic acid. This ingredient can be naturally found in some plants and plant extracts.
In fragrances, Benzyl Salicylate may be a solvent or a fragrance component. In synthetic musk scents, it is used as a solvent. For floral fragrances such as lilac and jasmine, it is used as a fragrance component. The natural scent of Benzyl Salicylate is described as "lightly-sweet, slightly balsamic".
While Benzyl Salicylate has been associated with contact dermatitis and allergies, emerging studies show it may not be caused by this ingredient alone.
However, this ingredient is often used with fragrances and other components that may cause allergies. It is still listed as a known allergen in the EU. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Another study from 2021 shows Benzyl Salicylate may have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Benzyl SalicylateGlycerin (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
