What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Dimethyl Paba
UV Absorber
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Tricholoma Matsutake Extract
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Masking
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Ethylhexyl Dimethyl Paba, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinol, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Xanthan Gum, Lauryl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Citronellol, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Hydroquinone 2%
Stabilising
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingBetaine
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Propylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
PEG-16 Soy Sterol
EmulsifyingSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingHydroquinone 2%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Lactic Acid, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, PEG-16 Soy Sterol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Glycine Soja Protein
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateIsopropyl Myristate is an ester made by combining isopropyl alcohol with myristic acid.
It is primarily an emollient and penetration enhancer that gives products a lightweight, silky feel without the heaviness of oils.
This ingredient is generally considered non-toxic, non-irritating, and has low absorption potential.
You might have heard that this ingredient clogs pores. This reputation comes from the older rabbit ear studies which are more sensitive than human skin to clogging.
Dermatologist Dr. Zoe Draelos has also confirmed in a peer-reviewed paper that products containing comedogenic ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic themselves.
A small subset of people (~2%) may experience contact sensitivity so patch testing is a reasonable idea if you have reactive skin.
Since this ingredient is an ester of myristic acid (a C14 fatty acid), it falls within the carbon chain range that is known to feed Malassezia. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Isopropyl MyristateParfum 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 ParfumPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
