What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSoluble Collagen
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningZiziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCrataegus Monogyna Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEmblica Officinalis Fruit
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beeswax, Dipropylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Petrolatum, Sorbitan Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Soluble Collagen, Parfum, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract, Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Crataegus Monogyna Fruit Extract, Emblica Officinalis Fruit, 1,2-Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Illicium Verum Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Soy Flour
Skin ConditioningCollagen Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialTocopherol
Antioxidant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Oleyl Alcohol, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrolyzed Soy Flour, Collagen Extract, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glycine Soja Sterols, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Tocopherol, Beta-Glucan, Centella Asiatica Extract, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumParfum 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-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
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 AcidTriethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
