What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Olea Europaea Seed Powder
Abrasive
Acrylates Copolymer
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil
Abrasive
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingParfum
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Luffa Cylindrica Fruit
Abrasive
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientFucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Olea Europaea Seed Powder, Acrylates Copolymer, Lauryl Betaine, Glycerin, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Parfum, Phenethyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit, Glyceryl Caprylate, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Disodium EDTA, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyethylene
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycoproteins
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Extract
Antioxidant
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin Conditioning
Quartz
Abrasive
Rosa Centifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningHematite Extract
Skin ProtectingDimethicone
Emollient
Diamond Powder
Abrasive
Tourmaline
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingMeteorite Powder
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate
UV AbsorberPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Buteth-3
SolventDisodium EDTA
Tributyl Citrate
SolventPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Polyethylene, Glycerin, Propanediol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycoproteins, Panax Ginseng Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Quartz, Rosa Centifolia Extract, Hematite Extract, Dimethicone, Diamond Powder, Tourmaline, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Meteorite Powder, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Propylene Glycol, Buteth-3, Disodium EDTA, Tributyl Citrate, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Mica, CI 77891, CI 17200
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholDisodium 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.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium 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
