What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-80
CleansingStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningSh-Oligopeptide-78
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicSodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-80, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Sh-Oligopeptide-78, Biotin, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Behentrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Bis-Diisopropanolamino-Pg-Propyl Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PEG-14 Copolymer
Parfum
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Butyloctanol
HumectantBenzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Methyl 2-Octynoate
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingHydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Bis-Diisopropanolamino-Pg-Propyl Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PEG-14 Copolymer, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 20, Butyloctanol, Benzyl Benzoate, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Hexyl Cinnamal, Methyl 2-Octynoate, Limonene, Linalool, Sodium Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl 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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParfum 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 ParfumPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
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.
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
