What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isocetyl Stearate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Mannose
HumectantSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Castor Oil Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientSorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Isoeugenol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Dimethicone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Dimer Dilinoleate, Alcohol Denat., Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Retinyl Palmitate, Silica, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrated Silica, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sorbitan Laurate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Isoeugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinParfum 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 ParfumPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
