What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Menthol
Masking
Tetrasodium EDTA
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Camphor
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Arctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Honey Extract
Humectant
Zingiber Officinale Root
Skin ConditioningEugenol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Menthol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Triethyl Citrate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Mentha Piperita Oil, Camphor, Sorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propylene Glycol, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Honey Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root, Eugenol, Geraniol, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Menthol
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine
Water, Niacinamide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Menthol, Mentha Piperita Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Caffeine, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone, Parfum, Glycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinThis essential oil is steam-distilled from peppermint leaves, also known as peppermint oil. It's mainly used for scent in skincare but also provides that signature "cooling" sensation.
Peppermint oil is a "feels amazing" ingredient until it doesn't.
At higher doses or for those with sensitive skin, methol-type cooling can quickly turn into burning/irritation. It can also trigger irritant dermatitis or even allergic contact dermatitis. In a large patch-test dataset, peppermint oil had a low but positive rate for this.
In cosmetics, Cosmetic Safety Reviews (CIR) concludes that peppermint oil is safe to use when formulated to be non-sensitizing with some restrictions; for instance, pulegone, a naturally occurring component of peppermint oil, should not exceed 1%.
Since peppermint oil contains fragrance allergens such as limonene, linalool, and menthol, it can be sensitizing for those with rosacea, eczema, a broken skin barrier, or just sensitive skin in general.
In Japan, this ingredient is known as Hakka Yu.
Learn more about Mentha Piperita OilMenthol is a compound found in mint plants, such as peppermint. In its pure form, it is a clear crystalline substance.
Menthol is known for its cooling sensation; however, the cooling is actually from your skin being sensitized. Menthol can worsen rosacea. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Menthol also has antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about MentholPanthenol 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.
Water. 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
