What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
No benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Benzalkonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Poloxamer 184
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Benzalkonium Chloride, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Poloxamer 184, Benzyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, CI 42090
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzalkonium Chloride (aka BAC) is a preservative that has been around since the 1930's. It is also a surfactant that gives it mild cleansing and antistatic properties.
BAC works because it carries a positive electrical charge that attract the negative charge of microbe cells (like a magnet). Once BAC sticks to a microbe, it breaks the microbe cell's outer wall and scrambles its proteins to kill it.
The maximum usage percentage for this ingredient is 0.1% in both the EU and Chinese cosmetic regulations.
The CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be a safe antimicrobial agent in concentrations up to 0.1% and it is permitted up to 3% in rinse off hair products.
BAC can be irritating at higher concentrations but a true allergy to it is pretty rare. Be sure to patch test if you have a damaged skin barrier or just sensitive skin.
Because it's a cation, it is incompatible with anionic surfactants like SLS (they neutralize each other).
Learn more about Benzalkonium ChlorideBenzyl 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 AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneParfum 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 ParfumPoloxamer 184 is a surfactant and emulsifier made from polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene units.
It allows ingredients that don't normally mix (like water and oil) to blend together and stay stable; this makes it easier for cleansers and makeup removers to grab onto dirt, oil, and makeup to be rinsed away more easily.
Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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
