What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPropagermanium
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate-13
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-100 Stearate
Polyisobutene
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Propagermanium, Polysorbate 60, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Polyacrylate-13, Panthenol, Glyceryl Stearate, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyisobutene, Chlorphenesin, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Polysorbate 20, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Coumarin
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Limonene, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Citral
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 CarbomerCentella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is derived from an herb native to Southeast Asia. It is famous for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.
Centella is rich in antioxidants and amino acids, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside.
Studies show the compounds in centella help with:
The combination of all these properties makes centella effective at soothing, hydrating, and protecting the skin.
Other great components of centella include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.
Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.
Learn more about Centella Asiatica 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 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.
Triethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
