What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Emulsifying Wax
Amodimethicone
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMethyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Silk Amino Acids
HumectantEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Hc Yellow No. 10
Water, Glycerin, Emulsifying Wax, Amodimethicone, Cetrimonium Chloride, Trideceth-12, Behentrimonium Chloride, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methyl Gluceth-20, Silk Amino Acids, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Parfum, Hc Yellow No. 10
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Guar
Emulsion StabilisingBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cetearyl Glucoside, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sclerotium Gum, Citric Acid, Limonene, Geraniol, Citronellol, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Coumarin, Citral
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 GlycolCitric 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 AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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 ParfumWater. 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
