What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Hydrofluorocarbon 152a
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Isobutane
Vp/Va Copolymer
Zeolite
AbsorbentC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPropylene Glycol Dibenzoate
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningLinum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-59
UV AbsorberButylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Alcohol Denat., Isobutane, Vp/Va Copolymer, Zeolite, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Triethyl Citrate, Water, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Polyquaternium-59, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Coumarin, Geraniol
Hydrofluorocarbon 152a
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butane
Zeolite
AbsorbentIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Vp/Va Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrated Silica
Abrasive
Volcanic Ash
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Carbonate
SolventT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Sulfate
Denatonium Benzoate
Masking
Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Alcohol Denat., Butane, Zeolite, Isopropyl Myristate, Vp/Va Copolymer, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrated Silica, Volcanic Ash, Parfum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Panthenol, Propylene Carbonate, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Sulfate, Denatonium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Glycerin (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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Hydrofluorocarbon 152a yet.
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein is protein extracted from rice. This ingredient is rich in antioxidants and peptides.
Studies show this ingredient may help with blocking the melanin creation process when skin is exposed to UV.
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 ParfumVP/VA Copolymer is a synthetic polymer made by joining two smaller molecules (vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate) into a larger chain.
It is mainly used as a film-former and fixing agent. When a product dries, it creates a thin and flexible layer on the skin, hair, or nails. This film helps hold hairstyles into place, adds a smooth feel to skin, and traps moisture to reduce dryness.
Irritation is rare at normal concentrations and it doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
Learn more about Vp/Va CopolymerWe don't have a description for Zeolite yet.
