What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoffea Robusta Seed Powder
Abrasive
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
C15-19 Alkane
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCeteareth-12
EmulsifyingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBHT
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Coffea Robusta Seed Powder, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, C15-19 Alkane, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Ceteareth-12, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Palmitate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Phospholipids, Glycolipids, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Glycine Soja Oil, Parfum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, BHT, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Stearate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Palmitate
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingJojoba Esters
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Palm Kernelate
CleansingTetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Punica Granatum Seed Powder
Abrasive
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Sodium Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Jojoba Esters, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Zinc Oxide, Punica Granatum Seed Powder, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, CI 77491, CI 77891, CI 17200
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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.
Sodium 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
