What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-8
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentDisodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-39
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingSea Salt
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, PEG-8, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Disodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-39, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Sea Salt, Parfum, Limonene, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingOpuntia Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Stearic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Opuntia Vulgaris Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Sodium Chloride, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SePhenoxyethanol 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
