What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Flower Water
AstringentAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Pullulan
Pvp
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Aroma
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Menthol
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Inositol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Sucrose
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingUrea
Buffering
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Malic Acid
Buffering
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hamamelis Virginiana Flower Water, Alcohol, Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-150 Distearate, Pullulan, Pvp, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Arginine, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Aroma, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Menthol, Parfum, Inositol, Panthenol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Sodium Lactate, Glycolic Acid, Sucrose, Sodium Citrate, Urea, Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid, CI 17200, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingPropanediol
Solvent
Cucumis Sativus Juice
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 42090
Cosmetic Colorant
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCi 42090 is a synthetic dye created from petroleum. It is used to give a bright blue color to cosmetics, medicine, and food.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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 ParfumPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolPvp is a water-soluble synthetic polymer and common hairstyling ingredient. It is a film-forming ingredient and used to "hold" specific shapes of hair.
In cosmetics, PVP helps products like sunscreens and color cosmetics last longer and wear more evenly.
It is less effective in high-humidity. It tends to draw moisture, but this moisture dismantles the structure and "hold".
PVP is generally well tolerated on skin and toxicity studies are negative for dermal irritation.
Learn more about PvpSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
