What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPyrus Communis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Tapioca Starch
Glycerin
Humectant
Bentonite
Absorbent
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Mentha Suaveolens Leaf Extract
AstringentMentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMentha Viridis Leaf Extract
Masking
Oryza Sativa Powder
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Peucedanum Graveolens Extract
TonicLactobacillus/Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningTriticum Vulgare Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentBrassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningApium Graveolens Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
HumectantPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingJuglans Regia Shell Powder
Abrasive
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
Masking
Water, Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Tapioca Starch, Glycerin, Bentonite, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Stearate, Mentha Suaveolens Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Mentha Viridis Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Powder, Butylene Glycol, Peucedanum Graveolens Extract, Lactobacillus/Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Ferment Filtrate, Triticum Vulgare Sprout Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Apium Graveolens Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, C12-14 Pareth-12, Juglans Regia Shell Powder, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, CI 42090, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingAlgin
Masking
Sucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Jojoba Esters, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Algin, Sucrose Cocoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglutamic Acid, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
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 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 StearatePalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidParfum 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 âFRAGRANCEâ or âPARFUMâ 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 ParfumPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
