What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Isobutane
Sd Alcohol 40-B
AstringentButane
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientParfum
MaskingEthyl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningSilicone Quaternium-3
Glycereth-26
HumectantPanthenyl Ethyl Ether
Water
Skin ConditioningTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingQuaternium-91
Cetrimonium Methosulfate
AntimicrobialCetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPhytantriol
HumectantQuaternium-95
UV AbsorberPropanediol
SolventCaffeine
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientCitrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
EmollientBrassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Liquid Endosperm
Hypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin ProtectingTocopherol
AntioxidantVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
AntimicrobialLitchi Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Extract
EmollientMalic Acid
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGelidiella Acerosa Extract
Skin ProtectingLeontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningVegetable Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningSodium Carrageenan
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialGalactoarabinan
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientXylitol
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingSodium Phosphate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
PreservativeCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingEthyl Linoleate
EmollientEthyl Oleate
EmollientSorbitan Oleate
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-37
Caprylic Acid
CleansingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingIsobutane, Sd Alcohol 40-B, Butane, Diisopropyl Adipate, Parfum, Ethyl Macadamiate, Silicone Quaternium-3, Glycereth-26, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Water, Trideceth-12, Quaternium-91, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Phytantriol, Quaternium-95, Propanediol, Caffeine, Biotin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Niacinamide, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Cocos Nucifera Liquid Endosperm, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Tocopherol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Litchi Chinensis Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Malic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Vegetable Amino Acids, Sodium Carrageenan, Phenoxyethanol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Galactoarabinan, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Xylitol, Trehalose, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbic Acid, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Ethyl Linoleate, Ethyl Oleate, Sorbitan Oleate, Polyquaternium-37, Caprylic Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
Isobutane
Sd Alcohol 40-B
AstringentButane
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantWater
Skin ConditioningSilicone Quaternium-3
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
HumectantParfum
MaskingAminopropyl Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Cedrene
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingAmyl Salicylate
PerfumingBenzyl Cinnamate
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingLinalyl Acetate
MaskingIsobutane, Sd Alcohol 40-B, Butane, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Isopropyl Myristate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Water, Silicone Quaternium-3, Trideceth-12, Propylene Glycol, Parfum, Aminopropyl Phenyl Trimethicone, Acetyl Cedrene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Amyl Salicylate, Benzyl Cinnamate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Linalyl Acetate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butane is a gas derived from petroleum and natural gas. It is used as an aerosol propellant.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexyl Cinnamal is a fragrance ingredient with a similar scent to jasmine. It can be naturally found in chamomile essential oil.
This ingredient is a known EU allergen and may sensitize the skin. The EU requires this ingredient to be listed separately on an ingredients list.
Hexyl Cinnamal is not water soluble but is soluble in oils.
Learn more about Hexyl CinnamalThis ingredient is a low-molecular weight gas using as a propellant in foams, sprays, and mousses.
It is not intended to interact with skin in a meaningful way as it evaporates almost immediately after dispensing and only leaving behind the actual product formula.
If it does somehow make it onto your skin, it is chemically inert and does not penetrate or get absorbed into skin. Safety assessments note that adverse skin reactions to this ingredient are uncommon.
Learn more about IsobutaneLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a small, naturally occurring scent molecule found in plants like lavender, coriander, bergamot, and more.
It is one of the two most-used fragrance ingredients in cosmetics and added purely for smell. Since it's not used for a skin benefit, there's no "effective dose". Concentration depends on the fragrance load of the product.
The EU requires it to be named on the label above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
Fresh linalool is a weak sensitizer but air exposure turns some of it into hydroperoxides, which are strong sensitizers. Those oxidation products are the actual allergy concern.
Patch-test clinics see positive reactions to linalool hydroperoxides in about 4% to 12% of dermatitis patients depending on country and test concentration.
Resassuringly, one analytical study found hydroperoxide levels in real fragranced products to be orders of magnitude below what induced sensitization in animal studies with no evidence of oxidation building up during normal storage.
The practical takeaway is that linalool is fine for most people but worth avoiding if you have a confirmed fragrance contact allergy or a badly compromised barrier.
Products stored a long time after opening are also the high-risk scenario since that is when oxidation happens.
The scent of linalool is described as 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 ParfumSD Alcohol 40-B is created by denaturing ethanol with tert-Butyl alcohol and denatonium benzoate. It is a solvent and astringent.
The 'SD' stands for 'specially denatured'. Denatured alcohol means the structure has been altered.
The 40-B is given by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. This is in accordance to the method of how the alcohol was denatured.
This ingredient is a solvent alcohol.
Learn more about Sd Alcohol 40-BSilicone Quaternium-3 is a type of silicone.
We don't have a description for Trideceth-12 yet.
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