What's inside
What's inside
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Alcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialParfum
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningTetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
MaskingVanillin
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingLinalyl Acetate
MaskingPogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
MaskingJuniperus Virginiana Oil
MaskingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV AbsorberCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
PerfumingCoumarin
PerfumingCitrus Aurantium Peel Oil
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingPinene
MaskingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
MaskingGeranyl Acetate
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingFarnesol
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingBeta-Caryophyllene
MaskingCitral
PerfumingTerpinolene
PerfumingTerpineol
MaskingAlpha-Terpinene
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCinnamyl Alcohol
PerfumingHexadecanolactone
MaskingCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantAlcohol Denat., Parfum, Water, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, Vanillin, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalyl Acetate, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Coumarin, Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Pinene, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Geranyl Acetate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Farnesol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Beta-Caryophyllene, Citral, Terpinolene, Terpineol, Alpha-Terpinene, Benzyl Alcohol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Hexadecanolactone, CI 19140, CI 14700
Alcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialParfum
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningHexamethylindanopyran
MaskingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingTetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
MaskingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingPogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
MaskingGeranyl Acetate
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingPinene
MaskingCoumarin
PerfumingBeta-Caryophyllene
MaskingSantalol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingRose Ketones
PerfumingFarnesol
PerfumingJasmine Oil/Extract
Hexadecanolactone
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingTerpinolene
PerfumingVanillin
MaskingAlpha-Terpinene
PerfumingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialTerpineol
MaskingEugenol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingAlcohol Denat., Parfum, Water, Hexamethylindanopyran, Benzyl Salicylate, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, Hydroxycitronellal, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Geranyl Acetate, Limonene, Pinene, Coumarin, Beta-Caryophyllene, Santalol, Linalool, Rose Ketones, Farnesol, Jasmine Oil/Extract, Hexadecanolactone, Benzyl Alcohol, Terpinolene, Vanillin, Alpha-Terpinene, Benzyl Benzoate, Terpineol, Eugenol, Geraniol, Citral
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.This ingredient is a fragrance ingredient known for having a fresh, citrus/piney scent.
Though this ingredient has shown antimicrobial activity in lab contexts, it is typically present in low levels in cosmetics.
It is regulated in the EU as an EU allergen. This means it if is present above a threshold, it must be included in the label.
Learn more about Alpha-TerpineneBenzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholBeta-Caryophyllene is a fragrance. It can cause irritation.
Citral is the molecule responsible for the fresh lemon scent in lemon, lime, and lemongrass. It is a fragrance ingredient that can be created from plant essential oils or synthetically.
Though Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1% so there's likely no skin benefit.
You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.
Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
The term '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.
Learn more about CitralCoumarins are a group of substances found naturally in plants. There are over 1300 types of coumarins identified. It has a natural vanilla scent.
Coumarin is an identified EU known allergy, meaning it may cause an allergic reaction when applied to the skin.
In many countries, coumarin is banned as a food additive. However, it can be found in soaps, tobacco products, and some alcohol drinks.
Plants use coumarins as a chemical defense. Some plants that have coumarins include lavender, tonka beans, and yellow clovers.
Learn more about CoumarinFarnesol is a compound extracted from essential oils such as lemongrass, rose, and more. It is used as a fragrance in products to help boost floral scents.
Farnesol is a known EU allergen and causes contact dermatitis.
This ingredient is hydrophobic, meaning it is not soluble in water.
Learn more about FarnesolGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGeranyl Acetate is a fragrance. It can cause irritation.
Hexadecanolactone is a fragrance and isn't fungal acne safe. It can cause irritation.
Hydroxycitronellal is a fragrance created from citronellal. The smell of hydroxycitronellal is often described as "citrus-like" or "melon-like".
Hydroxycitronellal is a known EU allergen and may cause irritation when applied to the skin.
Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool 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 ParfumPinene is created by distilling the resin of Pinus trees.
It is a known EU allergen. Long term contact with this ingredient can cause dermatitis.
This ingredient is commonly known as Patchouli oil.
Patchouli exhibits slight antibacterial and antifungal activity from its patchoulol and alpha-patchoulene content.
However, it also contains known skin-irritating fragrances. A study from 2015 found limonene and camphor as active components of this ingredient.
Limonene and camphor are both known EU allergens.
Learn more about Pogostemon Cablin Leaf OilTerpineol is a fragrance. It can cause irritation.
Terpinolene is a fragrance. It can cause irritation.
This ingredient is also known as ISO E Super. It is a synthetic perfuming and masking ingredient.
The manufacturer describes this scnet as amber and woody.
According to the EU, this ingredient is a known allergen and some people may develop skin sensitivity from repeated exposure.
Learn more about Tetramethyl AcetyloctahydronaphthalenesVanillin is the main compound of the vanilla bean. It is naturally occuring but can also be artificially created.
This ingredient exhibits antioxidant properties but is also a known skin-irritant.
Vanillism is the term of contact-dermatitis associated with the vanilla plant. The sap of the vanilla plant triggers skin irritation, swelling, and redness.
Learn more about VanillinWater. 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