What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingLanolin Alcohol
Emollient
Paraffin
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Sulfate
Decyl Oleate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Aluminum Stearates
EmollientParfum
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialWater
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cera Alba
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
PEG-14m
Emulsion StabilisingCera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingParaffin
Skin ConditioningAlgae
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventIsohexadecane
EmollientLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Vitreoscilla Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMaltitol
HumectantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Zea Mays Starch, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Paraffinum Liquidum, PEG-100 Stearate, Cera Alba, Sorbitol, Myristyl Myristate, Zea Mays Oil, PEG-14m, Cera Microcristallina, Paraffin, Algae, Sorbitan Tristearate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Isohexadecane, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Adenosine, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Maltitol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Octyldodecanol, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 80, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, 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.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Paraffin is a solid wax that pulls its weight as an emollient, occlusive, and consistency-booster.
It softens skin and lays down a protective film to slow water loss and gives products a stable body and structure.
The cosmetic grade stuff is highly refined with a solid safety record. The CIR Expert Panel has repeatedly reaffirmed this ingredient to be safe in current practices of use and concentration.
The worry about carcinogenic compounds only applies to industrial grades, not the purified version used in skincare.
Despite its reputation, the highly reformed form is non-comedogenic and doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
The good news for fungal-acne prone folks: the Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids and lipids and paraffin doesn't contain any of these (so there's nothing for the yeast to metabolize). This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe.
Learn more about ParaffinParaffinum 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 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
