What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Cocamide Mipa
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLens Esculenta Seed Extract
Skin ProtectingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNigella Sativa Seed Extract
Perfuming
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxypropylphosphate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingPEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingParfum
Masking
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Cocamide Mipa, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Niacinamide, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Lens Esculenta Seed Extract, Panthenol, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Nigella Sativa Seed Extract, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Hydroxypropylphosphate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, PEG-150 Distearate, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Parfum, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Oleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Amodimethicone
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyquaternium-10
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialMentha Arvensis Extract
MaskingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Glycol Distearate, Decyl Glucoside, Oleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Cetrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-10, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Caffeine, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Mentha Arvensis Extract, Niacinamide
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 BetaineDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 serves as a pearlizing or opacifying agent in cosmetic products.
It's often included in cleansers and haircare products to give them a lustrous or shimmering appearance.
It is derived from stearic acid, a natural fatty acid commonly found in vegetable oils and animal fats.
Glycol Distearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a surfactant that helps water and oil mix so that dirt, sweat, sebum, and sunscreen can rinse away easily. It's not technically a sulfate, but behaves similarly in formulas.
What it does:
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a strong cleansing surfactant and is much stronger than many mild cleansers. Because it works deeply, it can disrupt the skin's barrier. This can lead to dryness or irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Compared to gentler surfactants, it's effective but more likely to dry or irritate if not balanced with soothing ingredients.
CIR considers sodium α-olefin sulfonates (including C14-16) to be safe for use in rinse-off products when properly formulated. It is poorly absorbed through normal skin but absorption increases if the skin barrier is already damaged.
Learn more about Sodium C14-16 Olefin SulfonateWater. 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
