What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Honey
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Honey, Parfum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Flour
Abrasive
Water
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Water
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Honey
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCamellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Styrax Benzoin Resin Extract
Masking
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Flour, Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Lavandula Angustifolia Water, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Honey, Stearic Acid, Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Glycerin, Styrax Benzoin Resin Extract, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Parfum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
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 GlycerinHoney comes from bees. It is mainly made up of the sugars fructose and glucose.
Besides sugar, honey also contains amino acids, peptides, Vitamins A, C, and E. Vitamins A, C, and E.
As a humectant, honey is great at hydrating the skin. Humectants draw moisture from the air and hold it to your skin.
Honey also has antioxidant and antioxidant properties. Fun fact: darker honey has more antioxidants than light honey.
The antibacterial property of honey may make it effective at helping to treat acne. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Many people wonder if honey is vegan. It is technically a byproduct from bees. This is because honey is created from the digestive enzymes in a bee's stomach.
Remember to be kind to bees :) They are important for many ecosystems and are endangered.
Learn more about HoneyParfum 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 ParfumWater. 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
