What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLauryl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer
Acrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingParfum
Masking
Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingPEG-8 Laurate
Emulsifying
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningLinoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Silicone Quaternium-22
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Laureth-4
Emulsifying
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium EDTA
ChelatingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPolyglyceryl-3 Caprate
EmulsifyingSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Quaternium-95
UV AbsorberCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningPalmitamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
Sodium Sulfate
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Litchi Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLeontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningHypericum Perforatum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
Astringent
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Tilia Cordata Flower Extract
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Seyal Gum Extract
HumectantAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicNiacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Limonene
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Lauryl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Parfum, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Lauryl Glucoside, PEG-8 Laurate, Sodium PCA, Potassium Hydroxide, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Silicone Quaternium-22, Propylene Glycol, Laureth-4, C12-16 Alcohols, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Tetrasodium EDTA, Dipropylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Mentha Piperita Oil, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Glycolic Acid, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Quaternium-95, Caffeine, Acer Saccharum Extract, Palmitamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 20, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propanediol, Malachite Extract, Alcohol, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Litchi Chinensis Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Tilia Cordata Flower Extract, Acacia Seyal Gum Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Tin Oxide, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, CI 77891
Sodium Chloride
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
Astringent
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Schinus Terebinthifolia Fruit Extract
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Isostearate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
ChelatingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Dimethylheptenal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Chloride, Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Coconut Acid, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Schinus Terebinthifolia Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Isostearate, Glycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Maltodextrin, Triethyl Citrate, Dimethylheptenal, Linalool, Geraniol, Citronellol, Limonene
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 GlycerinLimonene 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 LinaloolThis essential oil is steam-distilled from peppermint leaves, also known as peppermint oil. It's mainly used for scent in skincare but also provides that signature "cooling" sensation.
Peppermint oil is a "feels amazing" ingredient until it doesn't.
At higher doses or for those with sensitive skin, methol-type cooling can quickly turn into burning/irritation. It can also trigger irritant dermatitis or even allergic contact dermatitis. In a large patch-test dataset, peppermint oil had a low but positive rate for this.
In cosmetics, Cosmetic Safety Reviews (CIR) concludes that peppermint oil is safe to use when formulated to be non-sensitizing with some restrictions; for instance, pulegone, a naturally occurring component of peppermint oil, should not exceed 1%.
Since peppermint oil contains fragrance allergens such as limonene, linalool, and menthol, it can be sensitizing for those with rosacea, eczema, a broken skin barrier, or just sensitive skin in general.
In Japan, this ingredient is known as Hakka Yu.
Learn more about Mentha Piperita OilTocopherol 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 Water
