What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingPropylene Glycol
HumectantTriticum Vulgare Germ
BleachingSulfur
AntiseborrhoeicPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
EmulsifyingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPEG-30 Castor Oil
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeParfum
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Propylene Glycol, Triticum Vulgare Germ, Sulfur, Panthenol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Xanthan Gum, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-30 Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Parfum, Limonene
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 GlycerinPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSulfur is a commonly occurring element on Earth (and our universe!). In cosmetics, it helps kill bacteria, reduces sebum, and provides exfoliation. This makes it an effective ingredient to reduce breakouts and fight acne.
As a ketayolytic agent, it breaks down the top layer of skin. This is a form of exfoliation and may help decrease acne and hyperpigmentation.
Studies show sulfur has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Sulfur can be drying if used excessively or at higher concentrations. We recommend speaking with a medical professional if you have any concerns.
Ancient Greece, India, China, and Egypt have used sulfur in both traditional medicines and for household use.
Learn more about SulfurWater. 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