What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientC13-15 Alkane
SolventBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativePolyglyceryl-3 Betainate Acetate
Squalane
EmollientJojoba Esters
EmollientHydroxyethyl Diethylenetriamine Dioleamide/Palmitamide
Linoleamidopropyl Dimethylamine Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin ConditioningPolyglycerin-3
HumectantHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthyl Lauroyl Arginate Hcl
Skin ConditioningPhytantriol
HumectantFurcellaria Lumbricalis Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLactic Acid
BufferingParfum
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, C13-15 Alkane, Behentrimonium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-3 Betainate Acetate, Squalane, Jojoba Esters, Hydroxyethyl Diethylenetriamine Dioleamide/Palmitamide, Linoleamidopropyl Dimethylamine Dimer Dilinoleate, Polyglycerin-3, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate Hcl, Phytantriol, Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Lactic Acid, Parfum, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientHydrogenated Farnesene
EmollientBrassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientPhyllostachys Bambusoides Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Tocopherol
AntioxidantSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingAspartic Acid
MaskingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingParfum
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Farnesene, Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Squalane, Phyllostachys Bambusoides Extract, Glycerin, Biotin, Panthenol, Diheptyl Succinate, Cetearyl Olivate, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Olivate, Aspartic Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 GlycerinLinalool 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 āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā 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 ParfumSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, itās technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term āoil-freeā isnāt regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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