What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Polyquaternium-7
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-37
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Algae Extract
Skin ConditioningSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-7, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyquaternium-37, Cetrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Hydrolyzed Algae Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Panthenol, Avena Sativa Seed Extract, Citric Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningCeteareth-25
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Honey
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicLawsonia Inermis Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialUrtica Dioica Extract
AstringentPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzoic Acid
Masking
Glycereth-2 Cocoate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Water, Ceteareth-25, Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Honey, Biotin, Lawsonia Inermis Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract, Benzoic Acid, Glycereth-2 Cocoate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit OilParfum 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-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor 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
