What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Polyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLavandula Angustifolia Herb Oil
Perfuming
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Thymus Vulgaris Oil
Masking
Mentha Spicata Herb Oil
Perfuming
Cinnamomum Camphora Leaf Oil
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Lavandula Angustifolia Herb Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Thymus Vulgaris Oil, Mentha Spicata Herb Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora Leaf Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningCamellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Vanillin
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil, Tocopherol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Vanillin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Sodium Phytate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Linalool, Limonene
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 AlcoholDehydroacetic Acid is fungicide and bactericide. It is used as a preservative in cosmetics. Preservatives help elongate the shelf life of a product.
Dehydroacetic Acid is not soluble in water.
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 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 LinaloolTocopherol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
