What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantSodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCoco-Glucoside
CleansingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantGlycol Stearate
EmollientPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantCastoryl Maleate
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeLactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingBetaine
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMenthol
MaskingXylitylglucoside
HumectantMenthyl Lactate
MaskingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialRibose
HumectantAnhydroxylitol
HumectantDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeXylitol
HumectantParfum
MaskingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingWater, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Butylene Glycol, Coco-Glucoside, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Glycol Stearate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Castoryl Maleate, Phenoxyethanol, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Betaine, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Menthol, Xylitylglucoside, Menthyl Lactate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Ribose, Anhydroxylitol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Xylitol, Parfum, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Citronellol, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Citral
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
CleansingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningUrea
BufferingLactobacillus/Portulaca Oleracea Ferment Extract
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSalicylic Acid
MaskingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialTocopherol
AntioxidantPantolactone
HumectantSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Panthenol, Urea, Lactobacillus/Portulaca Oleracea Ferment Extract, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Salicylic Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Pantolactone, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. The trade name for this ingredient is Leucidal.
Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid.
This ingredient has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.
Leuconostoc is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).
Learn more about Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment FiltratePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
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