What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Honey
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingTetrasodium EDTA
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Coumarin
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Parfum, Honey, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Benzoic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Coumarin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientUndecane
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Tridecane
Perfuming
Isohexadecane
EmollientCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Geraniol
Perfuming
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Undecane, Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Parfum, Tridecane, Isohexadecane, Cetyl Palmitate, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Carbomer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ceteareth-12, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Coumarin, Citronellol, Benzyl Benzoate, Geraniol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citral, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCoumarins are a group of substances found naturally in plants. There are over 1300 types of coumarins identified. It has a natural vanilla scent.
Coumarin is an identified EU known allergy, meaning it may cause an allergic reaction when applied to the skin.
In many countries, coumarin is banned as a food additive. However, it can be found in soaps, tobacco products, and some alcohol drinks.
Plants use coumarins as a chemical defense. Some plants that have coumarins include lavender, tonka beans, and yellow clovers.
Learn more about CoumarinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParfum 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.
Sodium 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 Water
