What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-100 Stearate
Triethanolamine
BufferingCeteareth-20
CleansingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Isopropyl Palmitate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-100 Stearate, Triethanolamine, Ceteareth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Diazolidinyl Urea, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Panthenol, DMDM Hydantoin, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingRubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Esters, Myristyl Myristate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Parfum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, CI 14700, CI 19140
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 StearateIsopropyl Palmitate is a texture enhancer and emollient. It is an ester of isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
Palmitates are emollients. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by creating a barrier that traps moisture in.
When added to cosmetics, Isopropyl Palmitate creates a silky texture and improves spreadability.
Isopropyl Palmitate may not be fungal acne safe. It can worsen acne prone skin.
Learn more about Isopropyl PalmitateParfum 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.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
