What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids
Cleansing
Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride
Antimicrobial
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Dimethicone PEG-7 Panthenyl Phosphate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Sarcosinate
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingTetrasodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Octyldodecanol, Sodium PCA, Parfum, Citric Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Potassium Dimethicone PEG-7 Panthenyl Phosphate, Sodium Sarcosinate, Propylene Glycol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Arginine, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Amodimethicone
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingChlorhexidine
Antimicrobial
Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Coumarin
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Geraniol
Perfuming
Algae
Skin Conditioning
Algae Extract
EmollientPollen Extract
EmollientSaponaria Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingSilk Amino Acids
HumectantCymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil
Masking
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Amodimethicone, Cetyl Esters, Parfum, Methylparaben, Cetrimonium Chloride, Trideceth-12, Chlorhexidine, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Propylene Glycol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Polysorbate 20, Coumarin, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hydroxycitronellal, Amyl Cinnamal, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Geraniol, Algae, Algae Extract, Pollen Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a preservative and often used for it's anti-static properties. You'll most likely see this ingredient in hair conditioners.
It does not cause irritation or sensitization in leave-on products at 1-5%.
Cetearyl 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 AlcoholChlorhexidine Dihydrochloride is a preservative.
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 ParfumPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene 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 Water
