What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCalcium Gluconate
HumectantTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCholesterol
Emollient
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Tetrasodium EDTA
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Hectorite
AbsorbentPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcrylates Copolymer
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Gluconolactone, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Calcium Gluconate, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Coconut Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hectorite, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates Copolymer, Benzoic Acid
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Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier. It is a surfactant derived from sarcosine, and a common source is coconut oil.
As a surfactant, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate helps lift dirts, oil, and other molecules to be washed away. In leave-on products, this ingredient is used as an emulsifier. Emulsifier help prevent ingredients such as oils and waters from separating.
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate is also commonly found as a foaming agent in shampoo, toothpaste, and shaving foam. It is amphiphilic, meaning it loves both water and fats.
Learn more about Sodium Lauroyl SarcosinateWater. 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
