What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV FilterButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV AbsorberEthylhexyl Triazone
UV AbsorberNylon-12
C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantC20-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialParfum
MaskingTriacontanyl Pvp
HumectantBenzoic Acid
MaskingTetrasodium EDTA
O-Cymen-5-Ol
AntimicrobialTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPropylene Glycol
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingGlycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Nylon-12, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, Glycerin, C20-22 Alcohols, Decyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Parfum, Triacontanyl Pvp, Benzoic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV FilterDiisopropyl Adipate
EmollientSilica
AbrasiveBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin ConditioningDiethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV AbsorberZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV AbsorberC10-18 Triglycerides
EmollientDecyl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzoic Acid
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingGlyceryl Behenate
EmollientGlyceryl Dibehenate
EmollientGlyceryl Laurate
EmollientMyrtus Communis Leaf Extract
PerfumingNiacinamide
SmoothingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantTribehenin
EmollientTripterygium Wilfordii Callus Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Diisopropyl Adipate, Silica, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Zea Mays Starch, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, C10-18 Triglycerides, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Benzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Glyceryl Laurate, Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Stearyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Tribehenin, Tripterygium Wilfordii Callus Extract, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidAlso known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is a chemical sunscreen filter that provides protection in the UV-A range.
Avobenzone is globally approved and is the most commonly used UV-A filter in the world.
Studies have found that avobenzone becomes ineffective when exposed to UV light (it is not photostable; meaning that it breaks down in sunlight). Because of this, formulations that include avobenzone will usually contain stabilizers such as octocrylene.
However, some modern formulations (looking at you, EU!) are able to stabilize avobenzone by coating the molecules.
Avobenzone does not protect against the UV-B range, so it's important to check that the sunscreen you're using contains other UV filters that do!
The highest concentration of avobenzone permitted is 3% in the US, and 5% in the EU.
Learn more about Butyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneDecyl 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 GlucosideDicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
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 GlycerinMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (Tinosorb M) is a hybrid and broad-spectrum UV ingredient. It is both a UV absorber and filter.
UV absorbers are an agent that absorbs UV rays. They protect your skin by using chemical reactions to convert UV rays into heat and energy. UV filters physically reduce the amount of UV rays from reaching your skin.
Tinosorb M covers a range of 280-400 nm and is photostable. This ingredient is neither oil or water soluble.
Tinosorb M is not available in the US. However, it is available in the EU and Asia.
It's sister, Tinosorb S, is set to be approved in the US by late 2025 (fingers crossed!).
Learn more about Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl TetramethylbutylphenolParfum 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 ParfumPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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