What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningSteartrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin ConditioningYeast Extract
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Inulin
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract
MaskingPhellinus Linteus Extract
Skin ConditioningVinegar
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Suffruticosa Branch/Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingChamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Artemisia Annua Extract
MaskingAzadirachta Indica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Water
Masking
Melissa Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Water
Skin ConditioningAlthaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract
AstringentArginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
MaskingSerine
Masking
Valine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Ganoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin ProtectingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicRosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-Crosspolymer
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Polylysine
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
BufferingPCA
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentButylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Myristyl Alcohol, Water, Steartrimonium Chloride, Alcohol, Parfum, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Yeast Extract, Beta-Glucan, Inulin, Maltodextrin, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Vinegar, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Branch/Flower/Leaf Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Azadirachta Indica Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Water, Melissa Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Water, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Caffeine, Biotin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract, PEG-Crosspolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Polylysine, Panthenol, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Methylpropanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dextrin
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.Parfum 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 ParfumWater. 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
