What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Propanediol Dicaprylate
EmollientBetaine
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Propylene Glycol Dipelargonate
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Mineral Salts
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Propanediol Dicaprylate, Betaine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol Dipelargonate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Carbomer, Parfum, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Mineral Salts
Olea Europaea Leaf Cell Extract
Skin ProtectingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Betaine
Humectant
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientViola Tricolor Extract
EmollientSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Cera Alba
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Lecithin
Emollient
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Phosphate
BufferingParfum
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Olea Europaea Leaf Cell Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Water, Glycerin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Betaine, Sucrose Stearate, Viola Tricolor Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Cera Alba, Alcohol, Lecithin, Ubiquinone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Phosphate, Parfum, Sodium Citrate, 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.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateParfum 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 ParfumPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
