What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCeteareth-20
CleansingNicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47
Skin ConditioningSoluble Collagen
HumectantAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCaulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Oryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningChenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Extract
EmollientOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
AntioxidantCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientCetearyl Phosphate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Butylene Glycol
HumectantParfum
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingAmyl Cinnamal
PerfumingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Carbonate
BufferingWater, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceteareth-20, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47, Soluble Collagen, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetearyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Pentylene Glycol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Carbonate
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 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 ParfumChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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