What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
EmulsifyingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingCeteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol
EmulsifyingSorbitol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantPEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Cleansing10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzoic Acid
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingGlyceryl Laurate
EmollientLactic Acid
BufferingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Decyl Glucoside, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Chloride, Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol, Sorbitol, Glycerin, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, 10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid, Avena Sativa Leaf/Stem Extract, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Laurate, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrin, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
EmulsifyingSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
HumectantPropylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCeteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingAvena Sativa Bran
AbrasiveButylparaben
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Ethylparaben
PreservativeParfum
MaskingIsobutylparaben
AntimicrobialMethylparaben
PreservativeOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePropylparaben
PreservativeSodium Propylparaben
PreservativeSorbic Acid
PreservativeCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Propylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Avena Sativa Bran, Butylparaben, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylparaben, Parfum, Isobutylparaben, Methylparaben, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Sodium Propylparaben, Sorbic Acid, CI 19140
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
We don't have a description for Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol yet.
Citric 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 AcidDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is below the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate is a surfactant and helps cleanse skin. It is created from the fatty acids of coconut oil.
Surfactants help rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants easily from skin. It has a faint fruit-like scent.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinOenothera Biennis Oil is the fixed oil derived from the seeds of the Evening Primrose.
Evening primrose oil is rich in fatty acids. These fatty acids include linoleic (60-85%), oleic (5-12%), palmitic (4-10%), and stearic (2-4%).
The fatty acid composition makes it a great ingredient for soothing and moisturizing skin. However, it may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal acne safe.
Further research is needed on the role of evening primrose in treating eczema.
Evening primrose is native to North America.
Learn more about Oenothera Biennis OilPeg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate is created from polyethylene glycol and fatty acids from coconut oil.
It is a synthetic polymer with emulsifying and cleansing properties.
As an emulsifier, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate prevents ingredients such as oils and water from separating. It also helps rinse away oils, dirt, and pollutants from skin.
Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate may not be fungal acne safe. It can also dry out skin.
Learn more about PEG-7 Glyceryl CocoateWater. 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