What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Steareth-20
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingPPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propylene Glycol Ceteth-3 Acetate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningEthylparaben
Preservative
PEG-90m
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Steareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pvp, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol Ceteth-3 Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Parfum, Methylparaben, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Ethylparaben, PEG-90m, Disodium EDTA, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Geraniol, Coumarin, CI 42090, CI 17200
Water
Skin ConditioningCeresin
Emulsion StabilisingPetrolatum
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingOctylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Ceteareth-25
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dicaprylyl Maleate
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
PEG-90m
Emulsion StabilisingPropylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
PPG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, Ceresin, Petrolatum, Propylene Glycol, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Pvp, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Ceteareth-25, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Dicaprylyl Maleate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Phenoxyethanol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Carbomer, Parfum, Methylparaben, PEG-90m, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Hexyl Cinnamal, Amyl Cinnamal, Linalool, PPG-12 Dimethicone, BHT
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 AlcoholDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAHexyl 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 CinnamalLinalool 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 LinaloolMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenParfum 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 ParfumWe don't have a description for PEG-90m yet.
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.
Pvp is a water-soluble synthetic polymer and common hairstyling ingredient. It is a film-forming ingredient and used to "hold" specific shapes of hair.
In cosmetics, PVP helps products like sunscreens and color cosmetics last longer and wear more evenly.
It is less effective in high-humidity. It tends to draw moisture, but this moisture dismantles the structure and "hold".
PVP is generally well tolerated on skin and toxicity studies are negative for dermal irritation.
Learn more about PvpWater. 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
