What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methylalanine
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingCocamide DEA
EmulsifyingSodium Laureth-4 Carboxylate
CleansingSoluble Collagen
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSilkworm Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Grandis Fruit Extract
AstringentTremella Fuciformis Extract
HumectantSantalum Album Wood Extract
PerfumingGlycerin
HumectantPolyquaternium-10
Octyldodecanol
EmollientPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Triisostearate
Citric Acid
BufferingButylene Glycol
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingParfum
MaskingWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methylalanine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Sodium Laureth-4 Carboxylate, Soluble Collagen, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Silkworm Extract, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Santalum Album Wood Extract, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-10, Octyldodecanol, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Triisostearate, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Rapeseed Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientIsopentyldiol
HumectantBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientAlbizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingQuaternium-33
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSucrose
HumectantZein
Skin ConditioningIsostearoyl Hydrolyzed Keratin
CleansingDistearyldimonium Chloride
Gamma-Docosalactone
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingAminopropyl Dimethicone
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPEG-90m
Emulsion StabilisingBis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate
EmollientDiethyl Sebacate
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantSorbitol
HumectantIsopropyl Alcohol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSteartrimonium Chloride
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Alcohol, Dimethicone, Isopentyldiol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Ceramide Ng, Cholesterol, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Quaternium-33, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Glycerin, Sucrose, Zein, Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Keratin, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Gamma-Docosalactone, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, PEG-90m, Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate, Diethyl Sebacate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Steartrimonium Chloride, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCitric 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 GlycerinParfum 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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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