What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Acrylates Copolymer
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Polymethylsilsesquioxane/Silica Crosspolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Honey
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Benzyl Nicotinate
Skin ConditioningCapsicum Annuum Resin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Silica
Abrasive
Propylene Carbonate
SolventPEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sucralose
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantSodium Benzoate
Masking
Coumarin
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
CI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantAcrylates Copolymer, Octyldodecanol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane/Silica Crosspolymer, Water, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Honey, Panthenol, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Mentha Piperita Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14, Niacinamide, Benzyl Nicotinate, Capsicum Annuum Resin, Phenoxyethanol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silica, Propylene Carbonate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Benzyl Alcohol, Sucralose, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Parfum, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Benzoate, Coumarin, Limonene, CI 16035
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientPolyisobutene
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Vanillin
Masking
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Zinc Carbonate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Tribehenin
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Microcrystalline Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Octyldodecanol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Synthetic Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Zinc Carbonate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Tribehenin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sorbitan Isostearate, Water, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (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 GlycerinOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Parfum 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.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
