What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride
Antimicrobial
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Simethicone
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Cinnamate
Perfuming
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Parfum, Stearalkonium Chloride, Isopropyl Alcohol, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Hexyl Cinnamal, Simethicone, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydroxycitronellal, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Cinnamate
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Milk
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
PEG-10 Glyceryl Stearate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel
Skin ConditioningJasminum Grandiflorum Flower Extract
Masking
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Isoeugenol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Farnesol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Milk, Glycerin, Persea Gratissima Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, PEG-10 Glyceryl Stearate, Parfum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel, Jasminum Grandiflorum Flower Extract, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 AlcoholBenzyl Salicylate is a solvent and fragrance additive. It is an ester of benzyl alcohol and salicylic acid. This ingredient can be naturally found in some plants and plant extracts.
In fragrances, Benzyl Salicylate may be a solvent or a fragrance component. In synthetic musk scents, it is used as a solvent. For floral fragrances such as lilac and jasmine, it is used as a fragrance component. The natural scent of Benzyl Salicylate is described as "lightly-sweet, slightly balsamic".
While Benzyl Salicylate has been associated with contact dermatitis and allergies, emerging studies show it may not be caused by this ingredient alone.
However, this ingredient is often used with fragrances and other components that may cause allergies. It is still listed as a known allergen in the EU. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Another study from 2021 shows Benzyl Salicylate may have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Benzyl SalicylateGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxycitronellal is a fragrance created from citronellal. The smell of hydroxycitronellal is often described as "citrus-like" or "melon-like".
Hydroxycitronellal is a known EU allergen and may cause irritation when applied to the skin.
Linalool 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 “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.
