What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Benzophenone-9
UV AbsorberHydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Di-C12-18 Alkyl Dimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Glycol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRaspberry Ketone
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodeceth-20
CleansingOctyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Oleyl Alcohol, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Benzophenone-9, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Di-C12-18 Alkyl Dimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Glycerin, Octyldodeceth-20, Octyldodeceth-16, Parfum, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Chloride, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, CI 19140, CI 15985, Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, CI 17200, CI 42090, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Glycolipids
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit OilParfum 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 ParfumJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilWater. 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
