What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Rosa Canina Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glucose
Humectant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate
EmollientBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Xanthan Gum, Xylitylglucoside, Parfum, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, Alcohol, Tocopherol, Glucose, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate, Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Glycerin
Humectant
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Vanillin
Masking
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Glycerin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Vanillin, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, 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 AlcoholDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 LinaloolWater. 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
