What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether
StabilisingHydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer
Parfum
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
PCA
Humectant
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
EDTA
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Laurate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, PEG-150 Distearate, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer, Parfum, Sodium PCA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, EDTA, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sorbic Acid, Proline, Potassium Laurate, Tocopherol, CI 17200
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isotridecyl Isononanoate
EmollientPEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingDimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
EDTA
Acrylates Copolymer
Propylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientButylparaben
Masking
PEG-9
HumectantEthylparaben
Preservative
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7%, Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, EDTA, Acrylates Copolymer, Propylparaben, Parfum, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Butylparaben, PEG-9, Ethylparaben, Dipropylene Glycol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 EDTAEDTA is the shortened name for ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. It is a chelating agent and used to stabilize products.
Chelating Agents are used to prevent trace metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This can prevent unwanted reactions or changed efficacy of products.
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 GlycerinParfum 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 is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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
