What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG/PPG-4/12 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Amodimethicone
Parfum
Masking
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Dicetyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Guar
Emulsion StabilisingLimonene
Perfuming
Trideceth-10
CleansingCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Steareth-6
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Trideceth-3
EmulsifyingAcetic Acid
BufferingTrisodium Hedta
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Cetyl Esters, Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-4/12 Dimethicone, Amodimethicone, Parfum, Isopropyl Alcohol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Isopropyl Myristate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Limonene, Trideceth-10, Coco-Betaine, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Benzyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Steareth-6, Sodium Chloride, Glycine Soja Oil, Arginine, Serine, Tocopherol, Glutamic Acid, Trideceth-3, Acetic Acid, Trisodium Hedta, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingDipotassium Phosphate
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPotassium Phosphate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Disodium EDTA
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Rosa Centifolia Flower Water
Skin ConditioningDiazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Panthenol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Potassium Phosphate, Citric Acid, Benzophenone-4, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Diazolidinyl Urea, CI 14700, CI 17200, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Hydroxycitronellal, Ceramide AP
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone is a fragrance. It can be synthetically created or naturally occurring.
The scent of Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone is described as "flowery" but can also be "woody".
Naturally occurring Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone may be found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or the yeast used to make wine and bread.
The term '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.
Learn more about Alpha-Isomethyl IononeCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolParfum 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 ParfumChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
