What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantHdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate
Emollient
Polysilicone-11
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Silica
Abrasive
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citral
Perfuming
Water
Skin ConditioningHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitronellol
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Mica, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Ascorbic Acid, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Parfum, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Polysilicone-11, Linalool, Limonene, Silica, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Water, Hexyl Cinnamal, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Citronellol, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitral
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Malic Acid
Buffering
CI 15510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Propanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Ethyl Macadamiate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Limonene, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, Tocopherol, Malic Acid, CI 15510, CI 15985
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citral is the molecule responsible for the fresh lemon scent in lemon, lime, and lemongrass. It is a fragrance ingredient that can be created from plant essential oils or synthetically.
Though Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1% so there's likely no skin benefit.
You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.
Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
The term '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.
Learn more about CitralGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool 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 LinaloolThis extract comes from the camu camu berry and is known for its exceptionally high vitamin C content.
Parfum 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 âFRAGRANCEâ or âPARFUMâ 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 ParfumTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
