What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingOrbignya Speciosa Kernel Oil
EmollientBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeHydrogenated Soybean Oil
EmollientLinum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
PerfumingLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
PerfumingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSalvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientCetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialPPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientLauryl Glucoside
CleansingPolyquaternium-37
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantIsopropyl Alcohol
SolventXylitol
HumectantCaprylic Acid
CleansingSorbitan Oleate
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingParfum
MaskingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Orbignya Speciosa Kernel Oil, Behentrimonium Chloride, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Panthenol, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Cetrimonium Chloride, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyquaternium-37, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Xylitol, Caprylic Acid, Sorbitan Oleate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Citronellol
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientSodium Polystyrene Sulfonate
Emulsion StabilisingCannabis Sativa Seed Oil
EmollientLimonium Gerberi Extract
Skin ProtectingLinum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
PerfumingSalvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
PerfumingCaryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil
Skin ConditioningKaolin
AbrasiveTocopherol
AntioxidantGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Phosphate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylic Acid
CleansingXylitol
HumectantSodium Glycolate
BufferingSodium Formate
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Limonium Gerberi Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil, Kaolin, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic Acid, Xylitol, Sodium Glycolate, Sodium Formate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholThis ingredient is also known as octanoic acid. It is a fatty acid that is naturally found in (and sourced from) coconut oil and palm kernel oil.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The antimicrobial activity has been documented: Caprylic Acid is able to disrupt microbial cell membranes and is confirmed to be effective against some bacteria and yeasts.
Cosmetic use levels are often under 5% because very high concentrations (70-99%) can be corrosive as shown in patch-testing.
On the fungal acne side, Caprylic Acid sits outside the C11-24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize. It is also one of the more studied fatty acids for anti-Malassezia activity; a study from 2020 showed that just 0.2 caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur under a Transmission Electron Microscope.
The comedogenic rating of 1 and irritancy rating of 3 comes from the 1989 Rabbit Ear Study. Since rabbit ear models produce a lot of false positives, anything scoring 0-1 means it is unlikely to cause comedones in humans.
The 3 for irritancy reflects that capylic acid is a weak organic acid that is corrosive in undiluted form.
Just so you know, both of these numbers came from being tested at 100% on hypersensitive rabbit skin. This is going to look very different at the <5% use levels in your cosmetics.
Plus, comedogenicity is more about the finished formula rather than individual ingredients. Be sure to patch test if you're unsure!
Learn more about Caprylic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as flaxseed extract. It has skin conditioning and perfuming properties.
Flaxseed naturally contains polysaccharides (sugars) and small amounts of fatty acid-related compounds to help hydrate the skin. The seed also contains antioxidants being studied for its effects on inflammation pathways.
A small clinical trial found topical flaxseed oil improved hand eczema over the course of 4 weeks. In an animal study, topical flaxseed cream supported wound-healing outcomes.
Overall, flaxseed is a great hydrating and barrier supporting ingredient. Like other plant extracts, some rare cases of allergic reactions can occur.
Though flaxseed has a perfuming function according to INCI, this doesn't mean the ingredient is added as a fragrance. It just means the material can contribute an odor or modify the scent of a formula.
Learn more about Linum Usitatissimum Seed ExtractThis ingredient is also known as flaxseed oil or linseed oil. It is created by cold-pressing the seeds of the flax plant and is rich in fatty acids.
This oil is packed with omega-3 (ALA), omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids that closely mimic the skin's own natural lipid barrier. The high omega-3 content gives it solid anti-inflammatory properties.
Clinical studies have found it can reduce water loss and improve smoothness/hydration, particularly in sensitive skin types. Studies also suggest it helps maintain the lipid layer that is compromised in atopic (eczema-prone) skin.
Wound healing studies showed that low-concentration linseed oil formulations (1-5%) produced significant barrier repair, but it should be noted that high concentrations showed diminishing returns.
Due to the rich fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Linum Usitatissimum Seed OilParfum 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
This ingredient comes from chia seeds (the same ones you put in your smoothie!). It has emollient and skin conditioning properties due to its rich concentration of linoleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
One small clinical study of 10 people found that a 4% chia seed oil formulation significantly improved skin hydration and soothed itchiness in 8 weeks. Another study showed using a chia seed extract enriched with vitamin F told skin cells to produce more of their own hydration factors.
There's also some lab evidence that chia seed extract, when paired with pomegranate extract, may help reduce excess pigment production.
Learn more about Salvia Hispanica Seed ExtractTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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 WaterXylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.
In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.
The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.
As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.
Learn more about Xylitol