What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
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
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Sodium Caproyl Methyltaurate
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract
AstringentSodium PCA
Humectant
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Isethionate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Stearic Acid, Coconut Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Sodium Caproyl Methyltaurate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Sodium PCA, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Isethionate, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Mica, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as coconut oil. It is a plant-derived ingredient with skin conditioning properties.
The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (~54%), followed by capric, caprylic, palmitic, and myristic acids. This profile allows it to penetrate easily into skin, moisturize, and improve dry skin.
A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.
Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.
It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.
Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.
Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.
Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".
Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).
The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.
Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).
Learn more about Cocos Nucifera OilGlycerin (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.
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 IsethionateStearic 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 AcidXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
