What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine Lactate
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingParfum
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingIsostearamidopropyl Morpholine Lactate
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantLimonene
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine Lactate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Parfum, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Glycine Soja Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Isostearamidopropyl Morpholine Lactate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, CI 42090, CI 19140, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningPEG-8 Beeswax
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantJojoba Esters
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientPolyglycerin-3
HumectantAcacia Decurrens Flower Wax
EmollientPolyquaternium-37
Polyquaternium-10
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingIsopropyl Alcohol
SolventSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Acetate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Persea Gratissima Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, PEG-8 Beeswax, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Jojoba Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, Polyglycerin-3, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Polyquaternium-37, Polyquaternium-10, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an ammonium salt. It is mainly used to prevent static in haircare products as a surfactant.
Surfactants have differing ends: one side is hydrophilic while the other end is hydrophobic.
Surfactants also help your cleansers remove pollutants more easily from the skin.
Learn more about Behentrimonium MethosulfateCetearyl 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 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 GlycerinGlycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.
The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.
On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.
Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.
Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilParfum 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