What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantStearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLaminaria Saccharina Extract
Skin ProtectingPyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Moroccan Lava Clay
Abrasive
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMontmorillonite
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantLinalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Kaolin, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Isononyl Isononanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Mica, CI 77891, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Zinc Sulfate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Pyridoxine Hcl, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Moroccan Lava Clay, Capryloyl Glycine, Xanthan Gum, Montmorillonite, Butylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77499, CI 77510, Linalool, Limonene, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Protein
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Water, Kaolin, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Parfum, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Gluconate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Protein, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 AlcoholCetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinKaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.
Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.
Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.
The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.
Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.
Learn more about KaolinLinalool 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 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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
