What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantSodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate
CleansingSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panax Notoginseng Root Extract
HumectantParfum
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMalpighia Glabra Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Laureth-7, Palmitic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Glycol Stearate, PEG-8, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Sorbitan Olivate, Butylene Glycol, Panax Notoginseng Root Extract, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, CI 14700
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingPolyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Glucoside, Lauryl Betaine, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Butylene Glycol, Glucose, Disodium EDTA, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Lactobacillus Ferment, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolDisodium 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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidMyristic Acid, aka tetradecanoic acid, is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in coconut oil and palm oil.
In skincare, it is an:
Research indicates that this ingredient posts a low risk of irritation and sensitization.
Since myristic acid is a C14 fatty acid, it falls within the range that Malassezia can metabolize, and therefore not fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideWater. 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
