What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyacrylamide
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-8 Methicone
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Propylene Glycol, Polyacrylamide, Phenyl Trimethicone, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-8 Methicone, Parfum, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, CI 77163, Mica, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningVp/Dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate Copolymer
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Acrylates Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingAmmonium Hydroxide
BufferingLinalool
Perfuming
Water, Vp/Dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate Copolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Parfum, Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Aminomethyl Propanol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Trideceth-6, Ammonium Hydroxide, Linalool
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 an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholDimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTALinalool 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 LinaloolParfum 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.
Phenyl Trimethicone is a silicon-based polymer. It is derived from silica.
Phenyl Trimethicone is used as an emollient and prevents products from foaming.
As an emollient, it helps trap moisture in the skin. It is considered an occlusive.
Learn more about Phenyl TrimethiconeWater. 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
