What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-10
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Magnesium Sulfate
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Amethyst Powder
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Polysorbate 20, Polyquaternium-10, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Allantoin, Sodium Chloride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Magnesium Sulfate, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Amethyst Powder, Butylene Glycol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lauramide Mipa
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Acrylates Copolymer
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Lauramide Mipa, Glycol Distearate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Acrylates Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Hexyl Cinnamal
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 ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexyl Cinnamal is a fragrance ingredient with a similar scent to jasmine. It can be naturally found in chamomile essential oil.
This ingredient is a known EU allergen and may sensitize the skin. The EU requires this ingredient to be listed separately on an ingredients list.
Hexyl Cinnamal is not water soluble but is soluble in oils.
Learn more about Hexyl CinnamalParfum 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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Chances 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 ChlorideWater. 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
