What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningAlgin
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Chitosan
Citric Acid
Buffering
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate Dimethicone
Amodimethicone/Morpholinomethyl Silsesquioxane Copolymer
Hydroxypropylgluconamide
HumectantHydroxypropylammonium Gluconate
HumectantHydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Dimethiconol Panthenol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
C12-13 Pareth-9
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
EDTA
PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Trideceth-5
EmulsifyingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters, Parfum, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Algin, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Chitosan, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Cetrimonium Chloride, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate Dimethicone, Amodimethicone/Morpholinomethyl Silsesquioxane Copolymer, Hydroxypropylgluconamide, Hydroxypropylammonium Gluconate, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Dimethiconol Panthenol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-13 Pareth-9, Caprylyl Glycol, Isopropyl Alcohol, EDTA, PCA, Sodium PCA, Trideceth-5, Hexylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Tartaric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lactate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Rosa Canina Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Linalool
Perfuming
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Esters, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Parfum, Tartaric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Limonene, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Linalool, Glycolic Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citric Acid
Reviews
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 AlcoholCaprylyl 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, 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl 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 AcidLinalool 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 ParfumTartaric acid is an AHA with exfoliating and antioxidant properties. It is found in many fruits, such as tamarind, grapes, bananas, and avocados.
AHAs provide chemical exfoliation, helping to improve skin tone and texture.
Tartaric acid is not as well studied as other AHAs, such as glycolic acid.
Learn more about Tartaric AcidWater. 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
