What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Isopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylamide
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Masking
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Urea, Isopropyl Isostearate, Cera Alba, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Polysorbate 60, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Hydroxide, Laureth-7, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Hydroxycitronellal
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Caprylate
EmulsifyingSteareth-21
CleansingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Cera Alba
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Magnesium Sulfate
Manganese Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Reseda Luteola Extract
Skin ConditioningArctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carum Petroselinum Extract
Skin ConditioningCera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Paraffin
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Steareth-2, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Caprylate, Steareth-21, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Cera Alba, Cetyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Lactate, Allantoin, Lactic Acid, Magnesium Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Reseda Luteola Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Carum Petroselinum Extract, Cera Microcristallina, Dimethicone, Paraffin, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cera alba is beeswax, or the wax used by bees to make honeycombs. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient. A study from 2003 found beeswax to be a stronger emollient than ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
As an emollient, beeswax helps hydrate the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients from separating. This helps create consistent texture.
The structure of beeswax is mainly long-chain alcohols and the esters of fatty acids.
There are three types of beeswax: yellow, white, and absolute. Yellow is pure beeswax taken from the honeycomb. White beeswax is created by filtering or bleaching yellow beeswax. Absolute beeswax is created by treating beeswax with alcohol. Beeswax used in cosmetics are purified.
Beeswax has been used throughout history and even in prehistoric times. Some common uses for beeswax still used today are making candles, as a waterproofing agent, and polish for leather.
Learn more about Cera AlbaGlycerin (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 GlycerinParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumParfum 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.
Water. 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
