What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLanolin
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingCarrageenan
Benzyl Alcohol
PerfumingParfum
MaskingAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantLac Powder
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Lanolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Carrageenan, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Ascorbic Acid, Lac Powder, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Glycine Soja Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantCera Alba
EmollientSqualane
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
EmulsifyingLanolin
EmollientSorbitan Sesquioleate
EmulsifyingPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingSucrose Distearate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMagnesium Sulfate
Saccharomyces Lysate
Skin ConditioningSea Water/Torreya Nucifera Leaf Ferment Extract
AntioxidantBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingSafflower Glyceride
EmollientParfum
MaskingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Ricinoleate
EmulsifyingAscorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
AntioxidantPrunus Domestica Seed Extract
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Dehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeColloidal Gold
AntimicrobialChlorella Vulgaris/Lupinus Albus Protein Ferment
Skin ConditioningPectin
Emulsion StabilisingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin ProtectingDextran
Geraniol
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cera Alba, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Lanolin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Sucrose Distearate, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Sulfate, Saccharomyces Lysate, Sea Water/Torreya Nucifera Leaf Ferment Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Safflower Glyceride, Parfum, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Ricinoleate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Prunus Domestica Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Dehydroacetic Acid, Colloidal Gold, Chlorella Vulgaris/Lupinus Albus Protein Ferment, Pectin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Dextran, Geraniol, Citronellol, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCitronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".
Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.
Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.
Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,
Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.
Learn more about CitronellolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLanolin is a waxy substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing sheep. It is an effective moisturizer that works as both a humectant and emollient.
As a humectant, it is able to absorb up to 400% of its own weight in water; this also gives it emulsifying properties as it can help stabilize water-in-oil emulsions.
On the other hand, lanolin is able to reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by about 20-30%. It can also incorporate into the lipid matrix to surround skin cells and reinforce the skin barrier.
This is why you'll see lanolin as an ingredient for heavy-duty moisturizers.
You might have seen an "allergy concern" that gives lanolin a bad reputation. The rate of lanolin contact allergy in the general population is estimated to be under 0.5%, and most of these are seen in people with compromised-skin dealing with eczema, atopic dermatitis, or leg ulcers.
Healthy, intact skin tolerates lanolin well. Even people who have previously reacted to it test negative on patch tests when the test is done on normal skin.
Because lanolin comes from an animal, it is not considered vegan. Sheep secrete lanolin through sebaceous glands to help protect their skin from the environment.
Learn more about LanolinLinalool 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.
Tocopherol 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.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
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 Water