What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSilica
AbrasiveBHT
AntioxidantPetrolatum
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCholecalciferol
Calcium Chloride
AstringentCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingShorea Robusta Seed Butter
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientParaffin
PerfumingZea Mays Kernel Extract
Stearic Acid
CleansingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingGlycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingTriethanolamine
BufferingIsohexadecane
EmollientSalicyloyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientPalmitic Acid
EmollientPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingHydrolyzed Soy Protein
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAcetyl Trifluoromethylphenyl Valylglycine
Skin ConditioningFaex Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingAcrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingRetinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeLinalool
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingAmyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialBenzyl Cinnamate
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, PEG-40 Stearate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Shorea Robusta Seed Butter, Paraffinum Liquidum, Paraffin, Zea Mays Kernel Extract, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Microcrystalline Wax, Sorbitan Tristearate, Glycine Soja Protein, Triethanolamine, Isohexadecane, Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine, Myristyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Trifluoromethylphenyl Valylglycine, Faex Extract, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Retinyl Palmitate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Linalool, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Amyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Citral, Citronellol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Cinnamate, Benzyl Salicylate, Parfum
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic 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