What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate
CleansingDisodium 2-Sulfolaurate
CleansingSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate
CleansingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCetyl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Laureth-3
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Isostearyl Isostearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cetyl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polysorbate 60, Laureth-3, Allantoin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Glycine Soja Oil, Disodium EDTA, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77492, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
This ingredient is also known as sweet almond oil. It is a lightweight, cold-pressed oil from the ripe seeds of the sweet almond tree.
Sweet almond oil is rich in skin-nourishing fatty acids such as oleic acid (55-86%) and linolenic acid (7-35%).
As an emollient, it softens and hydrates skin by forming a thin barrier that locks in moisture.
Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing. The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the available safety data and concluded it is safe for topical use.
Because of the oleic acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis OilSodium 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 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
