What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCreatine
Skin ConditioningSoy Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningWheat Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Threonine
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Polyquaternium-11
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Linalool
Perfuming
Urea
Buffering
Citronellol
Perfuming
Saccharide Hydrolysate
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Creatine, Soy Amino Acids, Wheat Amino Acids, Glycine, Alanine, Magnesium Aspartate, Serine, Threonine, Arginine Hcl, Lactic Acid, Parfum, Polyquaternium-11, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Propylene Glycol, Linalool, Urea, Citronellol, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Phenoxyethanol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Sodium Xylenesulfonate
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningMenthol
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydrochloric Acid
BufferingVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Nitrate
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Magnesium Chloride
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Glycol Distearate, Dimethicone, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Citrate, Cocamide Mea, Sodium Xylenesulfonate, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Menthol, Methylparaben, Limonene, Propylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydrochloric Acid, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Magnesium Nitrate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Potassium Benzoate, Magnesium Chloride, Methylisothiazolinone
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl 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 GlycerinThis ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChlorideParfum 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 ParfumPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
