What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Maris Sal
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGellan Gum
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Maris Sal, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Gellan Gum, Citric Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Fragaria Ananassa Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningRubus Fruticosus Juice
AstringentRubus Idaeus Juice
AstringentTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTrisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Masking
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
BHT
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cetyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Fragaria Ananassa Fruit Juice, Rubus Fruticosus Juice, Rubus Idaeus Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Arachidic Acid, Myristic Acid, Oleic Acid, Silica, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Carbomer, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Linalool, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Geraniol, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Citral, BHT, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl 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 CitronellolGlycerin (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 GlycerinIsopropyl Palmitate is a lightweight emollient made by combining isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
It is an emollient that leaves skin feeling smooth and silky without leaving a greasy feel.
Typical usage concentrations range from 1-5%.
Human testing shows it's non-irritating and non-sensitizing, and the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has cleared it at very high levels (79% in leave-on products).
The one thing worth knowing about its comedogenic score of 3-4 is to keep it in perspective: these ratings come from old rabbit-ear tests using 100% of pure ingredient and doesn't reflect how it behaves at low levels in a finished product.
Because it is an ester of palmitic acid (C16), it falls into the range that the Malassezia yeast can feed on and is considered not fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Isopropyl PalmitateLinalool 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
