What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPetrolatum
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientElaeis Guineensis Oil
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-8 Stearate
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Butylene Glycol
HumectantStearalkonium Chloride
PreservativeCellulose
AbsorbentSodium Acetate
BufferingParfum
MaskingDimethyl Stearamine
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSorbic Acid
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15510
Cosmetic ColorantBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingWater, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Petrolatum, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Paraffinum Liquidum, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG-8 Stearate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Butylene Glycol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Cellulose, Sodium Acetate, Parfum, Dimethyl Stearamine, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, CI 19140, CI 15510, Benzyl Alcohol
Paraffinum Liquidum
EmollientIsopropyl Isostearate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingPEG-8 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingSorbitan Trioleate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPPG-10 Cetyl Ether
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingParfum
MaskingPropylparaben
PreservativeButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCamellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentParaffinum Liquidum, Isopropyl Isostearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polysorbate 80, PEG-8 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sorbitan Trioleate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Water, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PPG-10 Cetyl Ether, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Propylparaben, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
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 AlcoholButylene 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumParfum 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 ParfumWater. 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