What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Agrimonia Eupatoria Extract
AstringentPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Betaine, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Decyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Allantoin, Caffeine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Agrimonia Eupatoria Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAmber Powder
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningAsiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Coco-Betaine, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Salicylic Acid, Potassium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Amber Powder, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Madecassoside, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract, Oleanolic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolCoco-Betaine is the natural version of Cocamidopropyl Betaine. It is often derived from coconuts.
Coco-Betaine is a surfactant, meaning it helps remove dirt and oil from the skin.
Disodium 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 GlycerinChances 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 IsethionateWater. 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
