What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tapioca Starch
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMethylparaben
Preservative
Trisodium EDTA
4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Pearl
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Citrus Limon Juice
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Trideceth-9
EmulsifyingDecylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Alcohol Denat., Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Octocrylene, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Tapioca Starch, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Trisodium EDTA, 4-Butylresorcinol, Ethylparaben, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oleic Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Pearl, Maltodextrin, Citrus Limon Juice, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trideceth-9, Decylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-100 Stearate
Urea
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Acetyl Tyrosine
Skin ConditioningSaxifraga Sarmentosa Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingAminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Glutathione
Water, Propylene Glycol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Paraffinum Liquidum, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-100 Stearate, Urea, Xanthan Gum, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Kojic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Panthenol, Glycerin, Polyglutamic Acid, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Arbutin, Citric Acid, Sodium Sulfite, Acetyl Tyrosine, Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Glutathione
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParfum 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 ParfumPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilPhenoxyethanol 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
