ahava Essential Day Moisturizer Combination

Ingredients overview

Label order. Colour is our internal rating: green routine, yellow restricted or worth a look, red prohibited or high-risk, grey not yet decoded.

Ingredients are listed in label order; the order reflects the label only, not exact concentrations.

1. Aqua
2. Hexyldecyl Laurate
3. Cyclomethicone
4. Behentrimonium Methosulfate
5. Cetearyl Alcohol
6. Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
7. Propanediol
8. Alanine
9. Creatine
10. Glycerin
11. Glycine
12. Magnesium Aspartate
13. Saccharide Hydrolysate
14. Urea
15. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
16. Glyceryl Stearate
17. PEG-100 Stearate
18. Hamamelis Virginiana Flower Water
19. Caprylyl Glycol
20. 1,2-Hexanediol
21. Maris Sal
22. Panthenol
23. Menthyl Lactate
24. Fragrance
25. Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
26. Methylisothiazolinone
27. Aqua
28. Allantoin
29. Bisabolol
30. Disodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphates
31. Lecithin
32. Propylene Glycol
33. Squalene
34. Tocopherol
35. Beta-Sitosterol
36. Ascorbyl Palmitate
37. Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate
38. Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
39. Benzyl Alcohol
40. Benzyl Benzoate
41. Butylphenyl Methylpropional
42. Citral
43. Citronellol
44. Geraniol
45. Hexyl Cinnamal
46. Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
47. Limonene
48. Linalool

Highlights

Free of sulfatesContains siliconesContains fragranceContains PEGContains EU-26 allergensContains parabensContains animal-derivedContains mineral oilContains alcoholContains essential oilsContains formaldehyde releasers

Key ingredients

SOLVENT

AquaPropanediol

SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT

Hexyldecyl LaurateCyclomethiconeCetearyl Alcohol

ANTISTATIC

Behentrimonium MethosulfateAlanine

ABSORBENT

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

Other ingredients

CreatineGlycerinGlycineMagnesium AspartateSaccharide HydrolysateUreaAloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceGlyceryl StearatePEG-100 StearateHamamelis Virginiana Flower WaterCaprylyl Glycol1,2-HexanediolMaris SalPanthenolMenthyl LactateFragranceIodopropynyl ButylcarbamateMethylisothiazolinoneAquaAllantoinBisabololDisodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl PhosphatesLecithinPropylene GlycolSqualeneTocopherolBeta-SitosterolAscorbyl PalmitateHydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides CitrateAlpha-Isomethyl IononeBenzyl AlcoholBenzyl BenzoateButylphenyl MethylpropionalCitralCitronellolGeraniolHexyl CinnamalHydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene CarboxaldehydeLimoneneLinalool

Skim through

Ingredients explained

Aqua

Solvent, main base; microbial control is critical

Hexyldecyl Laurate

Hexyldeyl laurate, light emollient ester; low comedogenicity.

Cyclomethicone

Volatile silicone for light feel; contains D4 restricted by EU, must be <0.1% after 2026

Behentrimonium Methosulfate

Cationic surfactant for conditioning and antistatic; be careful with anionic actives compatibility.

Cetearyl Alcohol

Fatty alcohol emulsifier at 1-5%; non-ionic surfactant

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

Modified starch absorbent at 1–10%; for powder products, oil-absorbing without heavy feel

Propanediol

Polyol solvent at 1–5%; light feel, aids solubilization, propylene glycol alternative

Alanine

Amino acid for antistatic and conditioning; low irritation, slight salty taste at high levels

Creatine

Skin conditioning agent for moisturizing and anti-aging; used at low concentrations, generally well-tolerated by sensitive skin.

Glycerin

Workhorse humectant at 3–10%; tacky at high levels, pair with occlusives

Glycine

Humectant amino acid, 1–3%; small molecule, low irritation.

Magnesium Aspartate

Magnesium aspartate; water-soluble chelant/conditioner. Use at 1-2%; check chelation efficiency.

Saccharide Hydrolysate

Saccharide hydrolysate, strong humectant with hygroscopic properties; suitable for various dosage forms.

Urea

Potent humectant and keratolytic, >10% has exfoliating effect; stinging sensation at high levels, sensitive skin caution

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Natural humectant and soother with high water activity; requires preservative system, generally well-tolerated

Glyceryl Stearate

Emulsifier at 1-3%; may require acid to prevent saponification

PEG-100 Stearate

Non-ionic emulsifier, requires ionics for stability; check PEG for formaldehyde.

Hamamelis Virginiana Flower Water

Not decoded yet

Caprylyl Glycol

Polyol conditioner and preservative booster at 0.5–3%; emollient feel, often paired with 1,2-hexanediol

1,2-Hexanediol

Polyol solvent and preservative booster at 1–5%; light feel, can replace some traditional preservatives

Maris Sal

Natural mineral skin conditioner for exfoliation or soothing; high concentrations (>5%) may cause dryness due to osmotic pressure.

Panthenol

Panthenol (vitamin B5) at 1–5%; moisturizing and reparative, supports barrier recovery

Menthyl Lactate

Menthyl lactate, cooling and fragrance agent, provides mild menthol sensation for refreshing

Fragrance

Fragrance; concentration must control allergen risk, label specific components

Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Broad-spectrum preservative; mild irritation; caution for sensitized skin.

Methylisothiazolinone

Strong preservative; high allergy risk, EU restricted for leave-on products, high formulation risk

Aqua

Solvent, main base; microbial control is critical

Allantoin

Skin soother at 0.5-2%; promotes cell regeneration

Bisabolol

Soothing and anti-inflammatory agent, 0.01–0.1%; low irritation, good for sensitive skin.

Disodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphates

Gentle two-phase/ionic cleanser & conditioner, vitamin E phosphate; mild but needs compatibility testing

Lecithin

Phospholipid emulsifier at 1-5%; biocompatible, moisturizing/antioxidant, prone to oxidation (add TBHQ), mild for sensitive skin.

Propylene Glycol

Polyol humectant at 3-10%; hygroscopic, slight tackiness, mild irritation at high conc., verify preservative efficacy, no allergen.

Squalene

Squalene, lightweight emollient, easily absorbed; animal sources restricted, plant sources preferred

Tocopherol

Natural antioxidant (vitamin E) at 0.1–1%; prone to oxidation, store protected from light

Beta-Sitosterol

Plant sterol for emulsion stability and barrier support; high levels may destabilize hydrophilic systems.

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Ascorbyl palmitate, lipophilic Vit C ester, antioxidant; oxidizes, needs light/air protection.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate

Vegetable-derived oil ester with emollient and emulsifying properties; improves light stability, 1–5%.

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Vanilla-like fragrance ingredient; one of EU 26 allergens, caution advised for sensitive skin.

Benzyl Alcohol

Mild preservative/solvent at 0.5-1.0%; EU allergen (labeling required), irritation risk if concentrated, avoid in infant/highly sensitive skin.

Benzyl Benzoate

Chelating agent for stability; restricted substance, not permitted as single component or in mixtures at ≥0.1%.

Butylphenyl Methylpropional

Synthetic fragrance with floral notes; EU regulations limit usage, strict monitoring required.

Citral

Citral; citrus fragrance component, listed EU allergen, high phototoxicity risk, strict concentration limits apply.

Citronellol

Citronellol for fragrance; EU 26 allergen, labeling required above 0.001%.

Geraniol

Geraniol for fragrance; EU 26 allergen, labeling required above 0.001%.

Hexyl Cinnamal

Common fragrance component (jasmine/vanilla note); listed EU allergen, requires labeling at >10ppm (leave-on).

Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde

Prohibited in EU cosmetics; restricted due to irritation risks.

Limonene

Natural fragrance solvent, EU allergen; poor photostability

Linalool

Natural fragrance component at ≤0.05%; one of EU 26 allergens, caution for sensitive skin

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