What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientHydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Nylon-12
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Polyacrylamide
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Methylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantLinalool
Perfuming
Isoeugenol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Isostearate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Propylene Glycol, Nylon-12, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Myristic Acid, Myristyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Laureth-7, T-Butyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Polyethylene, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, CI 15985, CI 19140, Linalool, Isoeugenol, Limonene, Citronellol, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Fish Oil
Skin Conditioning
Water, Alcohol Denat., Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Fish Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene 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 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
