What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
C15-19 Alkane
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Polyitaconate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Maltitol
HumectantXylitol
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Pelvetia Canaliculata Extract
Skin ProtectingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, C15-19 Alkane, Glycerin, Sodium Polyitaconate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Xylitylglucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Anhydroxylitol, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Maltitol, Xylitol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Linalool, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Citral, Pelvetia Canaliculata Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Vp/Va Copolymer
Polyquaternium-55
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentCeteareth-20
CleansingAcrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Oenocarpus Bataua Fruit Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingSodium Polyitaconate
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Pvp, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Vp/Va Copolymer, Polyquaternium-55, Benzyl Alcohol, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Ceteareth-20, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Zea Mays Starch, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Oenocarpus Bataua Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Coconut Alkanes, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Polyitaconate, Sodium Lactate, Disodium EDTA, Coco-Caprylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Coumarin, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, 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 most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateLinalool 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 ParfumPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Jojoba 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 OilWe don't have a description for Sodium Polyitaconate yet.
Water. 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
