What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Amodimethicone
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantParfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyl Guar
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids
Cleansing
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Potassium Dimethicone PEG-7 Panthenyl Phosphate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Sarcosinate
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Limonene
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningCereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Dipropylene Glycol, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Trideceth-6, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids, Cetrimonium Chloride, Potassium Dimethicone PEG-7 Panthenyl Phosphate, Sodium Sarcosinate, Caramel, Propylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Coumarin, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Arginine, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hexyl Cinnamal, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Limonene, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract, Glucose, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Polyquaternium-55
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingCeresin
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Triethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Polyquaternium-55, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Tocopherol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenyl Trimethicone, Pvp, Ceresin, Citric Acid, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCoumarins are a group of substances found naturally in plants. There are over 1300 types of coumarins identified. It has a natural vanilla scent.
Coumarin is an identified EU known allergy, meaning it may cause an allergic reaction when applied to the skin.
In many countries, coumarin is banned as a food additive. However, it can be found in soaps, tobacco products, and some alcohol drinks.
Plants use coumarins as a chemical defense. Some plants that have coumarins include lavender, tonka beans, and yellow clovers.
Learn more about CoumarinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexyl Cinnamal is a fragrance ingredient with a similar scent to jasmine. It can be naturally found in chamomile essential oil.
This ingredient is a known EU allergen and may sensitize the skin. The EU requires this ingredient to be listed separately on an ingredients list.
Hexyl Cinnamal is not water soluble but is soluble in oils.
Learn more about Hexyl CinnamalParfum 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
