What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingPolyacrylate-33
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Water
Masking
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Cyanate
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Polyacrylate-33, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Cocos Nucifera Water, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Betaine, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Cyanate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Panthenol, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Maltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Mandelic Acid, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Allantoin, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone
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
