What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBiotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sh-Oligopeptide-78
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Panthenol, Trehalose, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Behentrimonium Chloride, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Polysorbate 20, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sh-Oligopeptide-78, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, BHT
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-10 Sunflower Glycerides
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Itaconic Acid
AntimicrobialArginine
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Xylitol
Humectant
Caprylic Acid
CleansingEthyl Linoleate
Emollient
Ethyl Oleate
Emollient
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Fumaric Acid
BufferingPolyquaternium-7
Polyquaternium-37
Sodium Salicylate
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
PPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientSodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Linalyl Acetate
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-10 Sunflower Glycerides, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Itaconic Acid, Arginine, Panthenol, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Benzyl Alcohol, Xylitol, Caprylic Acid, Ethyl Linoleate, Ethyl Oleate, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Fumaric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-37, Sodium Salicylate, Chlorphenesin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Sorbitan Oleate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Linalyl Acetate
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolParfum 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 ParfumWater. 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
