What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCream
EmollientMilk
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Acid
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Bubulum Oil
Emollient
Dipteryx Odorata Seed Extract
MaskingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Coumarin
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Cream, Milk, Macadamia Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Ethyl Macadamiate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Behentrimonium Chloride, Bubulum Oil, Dipteryx Odorata Seed Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Eugenol, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Amodimethicone
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingEthanolamine
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
CI 60730
Cosmetic ColorantBenzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Magnesium Acetate
BufferingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Behentrimonium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Amodimethicone, Sclerotium Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Ethanolamine, Citric Acid, CI 60730, Benzyl Salicylate, Trideceth-6, Benzyl Alcohol, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Magnesium Acetate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a preservative and often used for it's anti-static properties. You'll most likely see this ingredient in hair conditioners.
It does not cause irritation or sensitization in leave-on products at 1-5%.
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 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholThis ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Parfum 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
