What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
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Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientLanolin
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningCera Alba
EmollientAlcohol
AntimicrobialPolyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantLimonene
PerfumingViola Tricolor Extract
EmollientHydrolyzed Beeswax
EmulsifyingSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingArginine
MaskingZinc Sulfate
AntimicrobialParfum
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingCoumarin
PerfumingWater, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lanolin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cera Alba, Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Glycerin, Limonene, Viola Tricolor Extract, Hydrolyzed Beeswax, Sorbitan Olivate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Arginine, Zinc Sulfate, Parfum, Linalool, Geraniol, Citral, Coumarin
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Heptaoleate
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingViola Tricolor Extract
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
AntioxidantCoco-Caprylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-4 Oleate
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Phytate
Parfum
MaskingWater, Polyglyceryl-10 Heptaoleate, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Viola Tricolor Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Coco-Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract comes from the marigold flower and has been used on skin for centuries for its calming effect.
In the lab, its active compounds appear to calm inflammation and support the early "healing" phase of minor wounds.
This is why Europe's medicines regulator has approved calendula extracts as a traditional remedy for minor skin inflammation and healing small wounds.
The stronger human evidence is around would/ulcer care rather than everyday cosmetic claims; a review that pulled together 14 studies found that calendula helped calm the early, inflamed stage of a wound and helped new skin tissue form faster.
Two studies also showed it shrank leg ulcers (the kind caused by poor circulation). Results were mixed for burns and for the skin irritation people get from radiation treatment, so it's not a sure thing there.
In cosmetics, it's mostly a skin conditioning and soothing agent.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel concluded that calendula-derived ingredients are safe as used and that the ingredients are not irritating, sensitizing, or photosensitizing in clinical tests (though they may be mild eye irritants).
Typical use levels are quite low; industry data reported it used at under 0.5% (one supplier noted a 10-25% extract blend used at 1-10% in the finished product). Historical use goes up to 10%.
The only thing to keep in mind is if you have daisy/ragweed allergies. Calendula is in the same family and one patch-test study found 2% of dermatitis patients reacted to marigold. Be sure to patch test if you have sensitive or allergy-prone skin.
Learn more about Calendula Officinalis Flower ExtractChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract comes from the Chamomile flower.
Chamomile is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. Several compounds found in chamomile help with soothing, such as bisbolol.
Antioxidant components in chamomile make it an effective ingredient to help slow the signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, or molecules that may damage your skin.
Essential oils from chamomile have been found to improve wound healing due to its antimicrobial properties.
Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used Chamomile to treat skin redness and dryness. Chamomile has also been used to help treat stomach issues.
Learn more about Chamomilla Recutita Flower ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilParfum 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 ParfumThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractWe don't have a description for Viola Tricolor Extract yet.
Water. 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