What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-67
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingBetula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Acetate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract
MaskingOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Coco-Betaine, Potassium Cocoate, Polyquaternium-67, Xylitylglucoside, Citric Acid, Anhydroxylitol, Sodium Chloride, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Xylitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glucose, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Trehalose, Allantoin, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Papain
Skin ConditioningCoptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningVigna Radiata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Serotina Fruit Extract
MaskingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hordeum Distichon Extract
Skin ProtectingVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Seed Powder
Abrasive
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Powder
Collagen Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran
Abrasive
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Powder
HumectantSedum Sarmentosum Extract
HumectantOrchis Mascula Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingLauryl Betaine
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Cimicifuga Dahurica Root Extract
Antioxidant
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Papain, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, Hordeum Distichon Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Seed Powder, Glyceryl Glucoside, Oryza Sativa Powder, Collagen Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Powder, Sedum Sarmentosum Extract, Orchis Mascula Extract, Allantoin, Glucose, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cimicifuga Dahurica Root Extract, Coconut Acid, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Phytate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCitric 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 AcidGlucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.
Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.
It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.
Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.
Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.
In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.
Learn more about GlucoseGlycerin (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 GlycerinPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate is an amino acid-based surfactant and cleaning agent. This ingredient can be derived from animals or plants. It may also be synthetically created from fatty acids of the coconut and glycine.
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate is a gentle surfactant. Surfactants help gather the dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away. It is a mild cleanser and naturally produces foam.
Chances 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 ChlorideSodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateThis gentle cleansing and foaming ingredient is known for leaving a smooth feeling in skin and hair. It is made using coconut oil.
According to the manufacturer, it is soluble in water and has resistance to hard water, acid, and alkali.
Due to its coconut base, it may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Sodium Methyl Cocoyl TaurateWater. 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
