What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Amodimethicone
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
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 ConditioningOpuntia Ficus-Indica 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, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Glucose, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Amodimethicone
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Rosa Centifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Centifolia Flower Extract
Astringent
Honey Extract
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Trideceth-6, Potassium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol, Glycerin, Rosa Centifolia Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Honey Extract, Citric Acid
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 water-soluble silicone is used for its hydrating and softening properties. It is used to add a silky feel to skincare products and has great benefits for haircare.
In haircare, this ingredient:
- Adds shine
- Protects color
- Offers thermal protection
- Boosts hair strength
- Does not build up as easily
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%.
Benzoic Acid is an organic acid that shows up in cosmetics as a preservative. It helps keep a product from spoiling by holding back the growth of yeast, mold, and some bacteria.
This ingredient also functions as a fragrance ingredient that helps mask the unpleasant scent of other ingredients.
The way it works is worth understanding; benzoic acid works when the formula is acidic. It is able to sneak into a microbe's cell and mess up how it functions to stop it from growing in an acidic product.
However, the acid switches to an inactive form and stops working if a product isn't acidic enough (above ~5 pH). This is why you'll often see it in low pH products or teamed up with other preservatives to cover the gap.
Safety wise, it's one of the better studied preservatives out there.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%.
A large international review found this ingredient had no effects on the human body and had low irritation potential.
Just so you know, real world use is usually much lower than the 5% ceiling (usually 1% of less).
The EU caps it at 2.5% in rinse-off products, 1.7% in oral care, and 0.5% in leave-on products.
One thing worth mentioning (it's nothing to worry about): some people get a little stinging or flushing where they apply it. This isn't a true allergy; it's a temporary and harmless reaction. This is the same kind of mild tingle you might notice from sorbic acid.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidCetearyl 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 AlcoholThis ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinLinalool 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 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.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxidePropylene 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 GlycolWe don't have a description for Trideceth-6 yet.
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
