What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Lactate
BufferingHydrogenated Castor Oil
EmollientPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingColloidal Oatmeal
AbsorbentSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantRetinol
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialPanthenol
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin ProtectingLactic Acid
BufferingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Malt Extract
Skin ProtectingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantXylose
HumectantFructan
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglutamic Acid
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantParfum
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Lactate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-40 Stearate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Panthenol, Glycine Soja Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Lactic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium Phytate, Malt Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xylose, Fructan, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglutamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Butylene Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, T-Butyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientMyristyl Myristate
EmollientCannabis Sativa Seed Oil
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingDimethicone
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Cera Alba
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningMethyl Soyate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Castor Oil
EmollientRetinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningCopernicia Cerifera Cera
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Tocopherol
AntioxidantTalc
AbrasiveCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cera Alba, Panthenol, Methyl Soyate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Talc, CI 77288, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCetearyl 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 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 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 StearateHydrogenated Castor Oil is created by adding hydrogen to castor oil. This helps stabilize the castor oil and raises the melting point. At room temperature, hydrogenated castor oil is solid.
Castor Oil helps moisturize the skin. It is rich in a fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. This fatty acid helps prevent moisture loss on the skin. This helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. Ricinoleic acid also has anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties.
As a wax-like substance, Hydrogenated Castor Oil acts as an emollient. Emollients help keep your skin stay soft and smooth by creating a barrier. This barrier helps trap moisture.
Hydrogenated Castor Oil may not be fungal-acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Castor OilPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolParfum 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.
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil is the INCI name for castor oil.
Castor Oil helps moisturize the skin. It is rich in a fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. This fatty acid helps prevent moisture loss on the skin. This helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. Ricinoleic acid also has anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties.
Besides hydrating the skin, castor oil is also used to hydrate hair. By keeping the hair shaft moisturized, breakage is decreased. More studies are needed to show castor oil's effective on stimulating hair growth.
Castor oil is created by cold-pressing castor seeds and then purifying the oil with heat. It was used in Ancient Egypt as fuel in lamps and to help treat eye irritation.
The term '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.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilWater. 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