What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Distearate
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Glycerin
Humectant
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Fragaria Vesca Leaf Extract
AstringentSoymilk
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicNiacinamide
Smoothing
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Distearate, Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragaria Vesca Leaf Extract, Soymilk, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Biotin, Niacinamide, Benzophenone-4, CI 17200
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
C10-12 Alkane/Cycloalkane
SolventGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSteartrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Ceteareth-6
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium EDTA
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Synthetic Jojoba Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Avocado Oil
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Magnesium Nitrate
Magnesium Chloride
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Behentrimonium Chloride, C10-12 Alkane/Cycloalkane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Steartrimonium Chloride, Ceteareth-6, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Parfum, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Synthetic Jojoba Oil, Hydrogenated Avocado Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Magnesium Nitrate, Magnesium Chloride
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Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 StearateMethylchloroisothiazolinone, or MCI, is a synthetic preservative used to protect against the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi in water-based products.
MCI is commonly combined with methylisothiazolinone (MI) in a 3:1 ratio.
This ingredient is safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-sensitizing and concentrations must not exceed 7.5 ppm in leave-on products / 15 ppm in rinse-off products.
Unfortunately, this ingredient has a well-documented sensitization story. Studies spanning several decades have shown this ingredient + MI to cause skin irritation and allergies.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
This just means this ingredient is most likely non-sensitizing in rinse-off products unless you've been diagnosed with a contact allergy to isothiazolinones.
Learn more about MethylchloroisothiazolinoneMI is a preservative and known skin irritant. In the past, MI was used for its ability to prevent bacteria, yeast, and fungi growth in low doses.
Nowadays, you'll most likely see MI combined with Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI).
Since then, numerous studies have shown this ingredient to cause contact dermatitis, or skin irritation.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
Learn more about MethylisothiazolinoneParfum 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 āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
