What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Hydrolyzed Pearl
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTrisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Ascorbic Acid, Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Alcohol Denat., Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Hydrolyzed Pearl, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Dimethicone, Sodium Carbomer, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Linalool, Geraniol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Myristyl Laurate
Oryzanol
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Cinnamomum Camphora Linalooliferum Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Pueraria Lobata Symbiosome Extract
Antioxidant
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cassia Alata Leaf Extract
AstringentCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Myristyl Myristate, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triheptanoin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Myristyl Laurate, Oryzanol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Carbomer, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Tocopherol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora Linalooliferum Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Pueraria Lobata Symbiosome Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Glucose, Parfum, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCitronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".
Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.
Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.
Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,
Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.
Learn more about CitronellolGeraniol 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 GeraniolGlycerin (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 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
