What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Nonfat Dry Milk
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Triethanolamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Decylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Coumarin
Perfuming
Water, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Nonfat Dry Milk, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Triethanolamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Glycerin, PEG-40 Stearate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Decylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Stearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin
Water
Skin ConditioningC15-19 Alkane
SolventPolyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Urea
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, C15-19 Alkane, Polyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Urea, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceGlycerin (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 GlycerinPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidParfum 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.
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 SorbateSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
