What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pantolactone
Humectant
Creatine
Skin Conditioning1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Sulfate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 47005
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methylpropanediol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Bakuchiol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Pantolactone, Creatine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 15985, CI 47005
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Nylon-12
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Isostearate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Propylene Glycol, Nylon-12, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Adenosine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Triethanolamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyethylene, Sodium Polyacrylate, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
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 GlycolCetearyl 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 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.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
