What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientIsopentyldiol
HumectantDimethiconol
EmollientDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyquaternium-37
Polyether-1
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Parfum
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isopentyldiol, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-37, Polyether-1, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trideceth-6, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethiconol
EmollientTea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
CleansingAcrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride/Acrylates Copolymer
Isohexadecane
EmollientCoceth-7
EmulsifyingBrassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantCetyl Esters
EmollientParfum
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBHT
AntioxidantDisodium EDTA
Water, Dimethiconol, Tea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride/Acrylates Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Coceth-7, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetyl Esters, Parfum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, BHT, Disodium EDTA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a preservative and often used for it's anti-static properties. You'll most likely see this ingredient in hair conditioners.
It does not cause irritation or sensitization in leave-on products at 1-5%.
Cetearyl 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 AlcoholDimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
Hydrolyzed pea protein has skin conditioning and emollient properties. It is created by cutting protein fragments (peptides) into smaller pieces.
According to a manufacturer, this size of this ingredient makes it easy to be absorbed into skin where they strengthen the skin barrier, improve moisture retention, and improve signs of irritation.
One study that included pea proteins in a topical product reported improved atopic dermatitis symptom scores while a patent containing this ingredient suggests this ingredient to support hydration-related pathways in the skin.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Pea ProteinParfum 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