What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Methyl Isethionate
Surfactant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Babassuamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Cetraria Islandica Extract
CleansingCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningGalactoarabinan
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Phytate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Sodium Cocoyl Methyl Isethionate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Babassuamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Citric Acid, Cetraria Islandica Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Arginine, Glycerin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Galactoarabinan, Tocopherol, Propanediol, Parfum, Linalool, Geraniol, Amyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Sodium Phytate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Charcoal Powder, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningLaureth-2
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
PEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyquaternium-7
Polyquaternium-10
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Sucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Laureth-2, Panthenol, Parfum, PEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sucrose Cocoate
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 GlycerinThis ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChlorideParfum 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
