What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-2m
Emulsion StabilisingMethylparaben
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Quaternium-80
Propylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Silica
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, Panthenol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-2m, Methylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Quaternium-80, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Hexyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Citronellol, Silica, Citric Acid, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, BHT
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Dipalmitoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate
Parfum
Masking
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Linalool
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningCitronellol
Perfuming
BHT
Antioxidant
Glycine
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Tyrosine
MaskingGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Geraniol
Perfuming
Serine
Masking
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Safflower Glucoside
Isoeugenol
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningMyrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf Extract
EmollientWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Dipalmitoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Parfum, Cetyl Esters, Cetrimonium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Linalool, Citric Acid, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Citronellol, BHT, Glycine, Arginine, Proline, Tyrosine, Glutamic Acid, Geraniol, Serine, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Benzyl Alcohol, Safflower Glucoside, Isoeugenol, Glycerin, Trehalose, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf Extract
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 most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholBHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.
As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.
The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.
However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.
Learn more about BHTCitric 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 AcidCitronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".
Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.
Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.
Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,
Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.
Learn more about CitronellolParfum 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
