What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingParfum
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Swiftlet Nest Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trehalose, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Swiftlet Nest Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientOctyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sea Water
HumectantLespedeza Capitata Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningSea Salt
Abrasive
Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningInonotus Obliquus Extract
Skin ConditioningRhaponticum Carthamoides Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRhodiola Rosea Extract
EmollientSelaginella Lepidophylla Extract
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Carrageenan
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sea Water, Lespedeza Capitata Leaf/Stem Extract, Sea Salt, Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Rhaponticum Carthamoides Root Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Extract, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate, Propanediol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Carrageenan, Parfum, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
