What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Salicylic Acid 0.5%
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate
CleansingParfum
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantGlycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingPEG-16 Soy Sterol
EmulsifyingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingSorbitol
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid 0.5%, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate, Parfum, Glycerin, Glycine Soja Protein, PEG-16 Soy Sterol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sorbitol, Water, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningLauric Acid
CleansingMyristic Acid
CleansingStearic Acid
CleansingPEG-75
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
SurfactantPotassium Cocoate
EmulsifyingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientChamaecyparis Obtusa Water
MaskingHamamelis Virginiana Water
AstringentCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
MaskingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
Antimicrobial1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningWater, Allantoin, Tetrasodium EDTA, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, PEG-75, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Potassium Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, 1,2-Hexanediol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cocamidopropyl 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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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 ParfumPolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Water. 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