What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Paraffin
Perfuming
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-35 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingAesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol
Preservative
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sorbitol
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCalcium Pantothenate
Inositol
Humectant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicLinalool
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Octocrylene, Cetyl Alcohol, Paraffin, Stearyl Alcohol, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-35 Castor Oil, Sodium Citrate, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Alcohol Denat., 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, Lactic Acid, Serine, Sodium Lactate, Sorbitol, Urea, Tocopherol, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Chloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Inositol, Linoleic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Allantoin, Biotin, Linalool, Coumarin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tapioca Starch
Methylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Propylparaben
Preservative
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Glycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Tapioca Starch, Methylparaben, Parfum, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid, Propylparaben, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Petrolatum, Benzyl Alcohol, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool
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 CarbomerCoumarins are a group of substances found naturally in plants. There are over 1300 types of coumarins identified. It has a natural vanilla scent.
Coumarin is an identified EU known allergy, meaning it may cause an allergic reaction when applied to the skin.
In many countries, coumarin is banned as a food additive. However, it can be found in soaps, tobacco products, and some alcohol drinks.
Plants use coumarins as a chemical defense. Some plants that have coumarins include lavender, tonka beans, and yellow clovers.
Learn more about CoumarinDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolParfum 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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
