What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Glycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningMusa Sapientum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
EmollientCymbopogon Flexuosus Oil
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantifolia Oil
CleansingSalvia Officinalis Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
PerfumingSalvia Sclarea Oil
MaskingZingiber Officinale Root Oil
MaskingCannabis Sativa Seed Oil
EmollientTrigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract
PerfumingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Bambusa Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Musa Sapientum Flower Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Cymbopogon Flexuosus Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Biotin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientAdansonia Digitata Oil
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningOpuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
EmollientCetyl Esters
EmollientHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningCetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeGaultheria Procumbens Leaf Oil
MaskingMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingMentha Viridis Leaf Oil
AstringentQuaternium-80
Lavandula Spica Herb Oil
PerfumingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingMenthol
MaskingWater, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Adansonia Digitata Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Cetyl Esters, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Cetrimonium Chloride, Biotin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Gaultheria Procumbens Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Quaternium-80, Lavandula Spica Herb Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Menthol
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 MethosulfateBiotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCucurbita Pepo Seed oil comes from the field pumpkin, including winter squash and the traditional orange pumpkin we see in Autumn.
Pumpkin seed oil is rich in vitamin E and plenty of fatty acids such as linoleic acids. Pumpkin seeds also have zinc and cartenoids.
Linoleic acid helps moisturize your skin as an emollient. Emollients act as a thin film to prevent moisture from escaping.
Cartenoids are an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect your skin against external damage. They also give pumpkins their classic orange color.
Fun fact: Pumpkins were first domesticated in Southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago.
Learn more about Cucurbita Pepo Seed OilGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis essential oil is steam-distilled from peppermint leaves, also known as peppermint oil. It's mainly used for scent in skincare but also provides that signature "cooling" sensation.
Peppermint oil is a "feels amazing" ingredient until it doesn't.
At higher doses or for those with sensitive skin, methol-type cooling can quickly turn into burning/irritation. It can also trigger irritant dermatitis or even allergic contact dermatitis. In a large patch-test dataset, peppermint oil had a low but positive rate for this.
In cosmetics, Cosmetic Safety Reviews (CIR) concludes that peppermint oil is safe to use when formulated to be non-sensitizing with some restrictions; for instance, pulegone, a naturally occurring component of peppermint oil, should not exceed 1%.
Since peppermint oil contains fragrance allergens such as limonene, linalool, and menthol, it can be sensitizing for those with rosacea, eczema, a broken skin barrier, or just sensitive skin in general.
In Japan, this ingredient is known as Hakka Yu.
Learn more about Mentha Piperita OilWater. 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