What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Parfum
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Parfum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Hyaluronic Acid, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Oryza Sativa Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Panthenol, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Kojic Dipalmitate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTin Oxide
Abrasive
Disodium EDTA
Triethanolamine
BufferingBenzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Propylene Glycol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Decyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Niacinamide, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Kojic Dipalmitate, Tocopherol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Tin Oxide, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Citral, Geraniol, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParaffinum 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 ParfumPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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 Water
