What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantSorbitol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingBetaine
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientGlycereth-26
HumectantPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
MaskingTromethamine
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantIsomalt
HumectantRosa Hybrid Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Serrulata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningNymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningSucrose Dilaurate
EmollientDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Water
MaskingPisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningRhododendron Ferrugineum Leaf Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningLecithin
EmollientAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAlchemilla Vulgaris Extract
AstringentPrimula Veris Extract
Skin ConditioningVeronica Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMalva Sylvestris Extract
AstringentPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingLactic Acid
BufferingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingDimethiconol
EmollientButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingHydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
MaskingCI 16255
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Niacinamide, Betaine, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycereth-26, Phenyl Trimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Parfum, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Isomalt, Rosa Hybrid Flower Extract, Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract, Sucrose Dilaurate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Pisum Sativum Extract, Rhododendron Ferrugineum Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Lecithin, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Primula Veris Extract, Veronica Officinalis Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Malva Sylvestris Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Dimethiconol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, CI 16255
Water
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Root Water
TonicButylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
AntioxidantEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBetaine
HumectantLecithin
EmollientPropanediol
SolventBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingHordeum Vulgare Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPrunus Persica Juice
MoisturisingPyrus Malus Juice
Skin ConditioningTriticum Vulgare Seed Extract
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeTrihydroxystearin
Skin ConditioningAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMenthol
MaskingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
EmollientMenthyl Lactate
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlucomannan
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Water, Butylene Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Carbomer, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Betaine, Lecithin, Propanediol, Benzyl Alcohol, Hordeum Vulgare Seed Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Prunus Persica Juice, Pyrus Malus Juice, Triticum Vulgare Seed Extract, Disodium EDTA, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Trihydroxystearin, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Menthol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Menthyl Lactate, Xanthan Gum, Glucomannan, Parfum, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Citronellol, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Achillea Millefolium Extract comes from the yarrow plant. Yarrow is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids.
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 BetaineButylene 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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid. It is a fatty acid ester.
The fatty acid content of Ethylhexyl Palmitate makes it an emollient. Emollients help soften and hydrate your skin by trapping moisture within.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is also used to help improve the texture of cosmetics. It helps other ingredient dissolve in products and help disperse ingredients more evenly.
You'll likely find this ingredient in sunscreen, as it is often used to mix UV-blocking ingredients such as avobenzone and ethylhexyl triazone.
It can also help stabilize the fragrances in a product as a fragrance fixative.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate can be used to substitute mineral oil.
Due to its high fatty acid content, it may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl PalmitateGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinParfum 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 GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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