What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Amodimethicone
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sericin
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-59
UV AbsorberPolyquaternium-7
Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Polyquaternium-37
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientPPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-26
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Glycerin, Propanediol, Polysorbate 60, Sericin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Polyquaternium-59, Polyquaternium-7, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Butylene Glycol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Glycereth-26, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium EDTA, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Polyquaternium-37
Polyether-1
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, 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
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 AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidWe don't have a description for Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein yet.
Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseParfum 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 ParfumWe don't have a description for Polyquaternium-37 yet.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateWater. 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
