What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningVinegar
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientC13-15 Alkane
SolventPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRoyal Jelly Extract
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
PerfumingOlea Europaea Fruit Extract
BleachingDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Mume Fruit Extract
HumectantRubus Chamaemorus Fruit Extract
AntioxidantHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLuffa Cylindrica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningActinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
EmollientCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
MaskingAdansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingSteartrimonium Chloride
PreservativeBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeAminopropyl Dimethicone
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
EmollientAmodimethicone
Cetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingIsopropyl Alcohol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientHydrolyzed Keratin
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingWater, Vinegar, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, C13-15 Alkane, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Myristyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Steartrimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Chloride, Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Amodimethicone, Cetrimonium Chloride, Trideceth-12, Isopropyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Cyclopentasiloxane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientElaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil
EmollientHoney
HumectantHoney Extract
HumectantHydrolyzed Honey Protein
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Extract
MaskingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningGluconobacter/Honey Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningKeratin
Skin ConditioningRoyal Jelly Extract
Skin ConditioningPropolis Extract
Skin ConditioningC9-11 Alkyl Glucoside
CleansingHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Ceramide Ng
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantQuaternium-18
SurfactantQuaternium-33
Cholesterol
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingCyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Honey, Honey Extract, Hydrolyzed Honey Protein, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Panthenol, Gluconobacter/Honey Ferment Filtrate, Keratin, Royal Jelly Extract, Propolis Extract, C9-11 Alkyl Glucoside, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Hydrolyzed Silk, Glycerin, Tocopherol, Quaternium-18, Quaternium-33, Cholesterol, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Water, 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.
You may know this ingredient as argan oil. It has emollient and skin conditioning properties that help soften skin and reinforce the lipid barrier.
The fatty acid profile of argan oil is roughly 45-55% oleic acid, 28-36% linoleic acid, 10-15% palmitic acid, and 5-7% stearic acid. It also contains vitamin E, sterols, squalene, and polyphenols like ferulic acid.
Two clinical studies in postmenopausal women found that applying argan oil for 60 days significantly improved skin elasticity and moisturization (reduced transepidermal water loss and increased epidermal water content).
Since it is high in oleic and linoleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Both of these fall in the C11-C24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Argania Spinosa Kernel OilCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPropylene 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 GlycolRoyal Jelly Extract comes from a secretion made by worker honeybees. This secretion is white and described as creamy.
This compound has antibacterial, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Studies show Royal Jelly to contain amino acids, fatty acids, and a variety of vitamins, including Vitamin Bs. Many of these components are antioxidants, which help with anti-aging. The fatty acids in Royal Jelly make it a hydrating ingredient.
Several animal studies show Royal Jelly to boost collagen production and reduce inflammation.
The Vitamin Bs found in Royal Jelly include:
Royal Jelly is derived from honeybees. This means it is not vegan.
Learn more about Royal Jelly ExtractWater. 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