What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Centifolia Flower Water
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyurethane-14
Amp-Acrylates Copolymer
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Maltodextrin/Vp Copolymer
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
PCA
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-113
Helianthus Annuus Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
Astringent
Carvone
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Citral
Perfuming
Pinene
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Vanillin
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coconut Alkanes, Stearyl Alcohol, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyurethane-14, Amp-Acrylates Copolymer, Pvp, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Maltodextrin/Vp Copolymer, Panthenol, Betaine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactic Acid, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Polyquaternium-113, Helianthus Annuus Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Carvone, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citric Acid, Amyl Cinnamal, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Citral, Pinene, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Vanillin, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Quaternium-91
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Keratin Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Acyl Coenzyme A Desaturase
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Quaternium-91, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Stearalkonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Chloride, Myristyl Myristate, Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Keratin Amino Acids, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Acyl Coenzyme A Desaturase, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 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.
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 AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinParfum 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.
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
