What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-6
HumectantLauric Acid
Cleansing
Kaolin
Abrasive
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-7
Tetrasodium EDTA
Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Aminomethyl Propanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as black seed oil or black cumin. It has emollient, skin conditioning, and perfuming properties.
It is rich in linoleic and oleic acids, making it a great skin hydrator or emollient. Other compounds found in black seed oil include thymoquinone, sterols, and various terpenes; these compounds give it antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Studies show thymoquinone helps reduce oxidative stress and dampens the inflammatory pathways. Combining this with the oils makes this ingredient great for barrier repair and moisturization.
Other studies have found this ingredient to have antimicrobial activity against several acne-causing bacteria.
Learn more about Nigella Sativa Seed OilParfum 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
