What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientHydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningCaulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAmodimethicone
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Sulfate
PEG-180m
Emulsion StabilisingIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Parfum, Dipropylene Glycol, Amodimethicone, Benzyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-150 Distearate, Gluconolactone, Trehalose, Disodium EDTA, Cetrimonium Chloride, PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether, Sodium Sulfate, PEG-180m, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Coumarin, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citrus Nobilis Fruit Extract
MaskingDistearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingCrambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Walnut Extract
Antioxidant
Mel Extract
MoisturisingRoyal Jelly Extract
Skin Conditioning
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Chestnut Extract
Skin ProtectingHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract
RefreshingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Olus Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBrassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Citrus Nobilis Fruit Extract, Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Walnut Extract, Mel Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Chestnut Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract, Phytosterols, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Olus Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate Hcl, Glycerin, Oleyl Alcohol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Citric Acid, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 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 GlycerinLinalool 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 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
