What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
No benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Cocamidopropylamine Oxide
Cleansing
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingPEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolyquaternium-7
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Cocamidopropylamine Oxide, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil, Coconut Acid, Sodium Isethionate, PEG-150 Distearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-7, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene
Colloidal Oatmeal Extract
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-7 Amodimethicone
Humectant
Polyquaternium-22
Polyquaternium-39
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-4
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate
Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Colloidal Oatmeal Extract, Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, PEG-7 Amodimethicone, Polyquaternium-22, Polyquaternium-39, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Laureth-4, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 AcidCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycol Distearate serves as a pearlizing or opacifying agent in cosmetic products.
It's often included in cleansers and haircare products to give them a lustrous or shimmering appearance.
It is derived from stearic acid, a natural fatty acid commonly found in vegetable oils and animal fats.
Glycol Distearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolParfum 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 ParfumWater. 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
