What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Honey
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Honey, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Oenocarpus Bataua Fruit Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract
Skin Conditioning
Eucheuma Spinosum Extract
Skin Conditioning
Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract
AstringentRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentEugenia Uniflora Fruit Extract
AstringentTheobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Oenocarpus Bataua Fruit Oil, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Eucheuma Spinosum Extract, Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Eugenia Uniflora Fruit Extract, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Sodium PCA, Behentrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl 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.
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 AlcoholParfum 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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolThis ingredient is also known as cupuacu butter. It's a soft, creamy plant fat that works as a skin-conditioning agent and often marketed as the plant-based alternative to lanolin.
The composition of this butter is dominated by oleic acid, stearic acid, and smaller amounts of palmitic, linoleic, and arachidic acids. There's also a useful dose of phystosterols.
That fatty-acid-and-sterol combo is why this ingredient behaves like a richer cousin of shea butter: the lipids reinforce the skin's surface and slow water loss while the sterols help support the barrier.
There's some early research too: a mouse study found cupuacu butter emulgels had antioxidant activity and a measurable photoprotective effect against UVB damage.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient but those prone to congestion might prefer formulations with lower concentrations.
Fungal acne: Cupuacu butter's fatty acids are mostly "locked up" in triglycerides that Malassezia can't easily feed on, but the yeast can slowly break these down to access the free fatty acids. Therefore, ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed ButterWater. 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
