What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingSorbitol
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
CleansingLanolin Alcohol
EmollientMethicone
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientLinoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Dicetyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingWater, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Sorbitol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Stearic Acid, Lanolin Alcohol, Methicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDimethicone
EmollientAstrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
EmollientPseudozyma Epicola/Apricot Kernel Oil/Olive Fruit Oil/Sunflower Seed Oil/Sweet Almond Oil/(Angelica Gigas/Lithospermum Erythrorhizon) Root Extract Ferment Extract Filtrate
Allantoin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
MaskingCoumarin
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingWater, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Pseudozyma Epicola/Apricot Kernel Oil/Olive Fruit Oil/Sunflower Seed Oil/Sweet Almond Oil/(Angelica Gigas/Lithospermum Erythrorhizon) Root Extract Ferment Extract Filtrate, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carthamus tinctorius seed oil comes from safflower, one of humanity's oldest crops.
Safflower seed oil contains a high percentage of linoleic acid and oleic acid. It also contains Vitamin E. These three components are effective moisturizers.
Vitamin E helps nourish your skin's lipid barrier. It is also a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, or unstable molecules that may damage your skin cells.
Due to its high fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis safe.
Thoughout history, safflower has been used for dying fabrics and in food as a saffron substitute.
Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed OilCetearyl 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 AlcoholThis ingredient is also known as coconut oil. It is a plant-derived ingredient with skin conditioning properties.
The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (~54%), followed by capric, caprylic, palmitic, and myristic acids. This profile allows it to penetrate easily into skin, moisturize, and improve dry skin.
A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.
Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.
It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.
Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.
Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.
Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".
Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).
The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.
Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).
Learn more about Cocos Nucifera 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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