What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate
SurfactantAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
AbrasiveAvena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Glycol Distearate
EmollientLaureth-4
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-10, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Glycol Distearate, Laureth-4, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantAcrylates Copolymer
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingGlycol Distearate
EmollientMyristic Acid
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientRice Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningPisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningPhosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingFerulic Acid
AntimicrobialPentasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Palmitoyl Dipeptide-12
Skin ConditioningMannitol
HumectantDecyl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-7
Arachidyl Alcohol
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Benzoate
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCoconut Acid
CleansingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycol Distearate, Myristic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Rice Amino Acids, Pisum Sativum Extract, Phosphatidylcholine, Ferulic Acid, Pentasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Palmitoyl Dipeptide-12, Mannitol, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Hydroxide, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-7, Arachidyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Coconut Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
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 GlycerinGlycol Distearate is an emulsifier and emollient that adds a "pearly" appearance to formulations.
That lustrous look you see in many shampoos is due to this ingredient: when cooled, it crystallizes into small platelets that reflect light to give products that rich, shimmering look.
This ingredient is considered safe at present practices of use and concentration and repeated insult patch test with 50% Glycol Distearate on 125 subjects found no evidence of skin irritation, hypersensitivity, or acute toxicity.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.1-10%.
Because it's an ester of stearic acid, it falls into the range that Malassezia likes to metabolize. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateThis 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 ChlorideSodium 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 BenzoateWater. 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