What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingJojoba Esters
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingMentha Arvensis Leaf Extract
MaskingParfum
MaskingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantMalachite Extract
AntioxidantAureobasidium Pullulans Ferment
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantGlucose
HumectantUndaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Jojoba Esters, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Arachidyl Glucoside, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract, Parfum, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Malachite Extract, Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment, Tocopherol, Glucose, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantOctyldodecanol
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingEthyl Hexanediol
SolventDimethicone
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
HumectantPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
PEG-100 Stearate
Isohexadecane
EmollientDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates Copolymer
Arginine
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
MaskingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCetearyl Methicone
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Adenosine
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingSorbitan Oleate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientGalactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Ethyl Hexanediol, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Trehalose, Polysorbate 60, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, PEG-100 Stearate, Isohexadecane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acrylates Copolymer, Arginine, Carbomer, Parfum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cetearyl Methicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylateParfum 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 ParfumWater. 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