What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate
AbsorbentPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
Astringent
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Xylitol
Humectant
Polyquaternium-7
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Panthenol, Xylitylglucoside, Charcoal Powder, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Anhydroxylitol, Bisabolol, Menthyl Lactate, Xylitol, Polyquaternium-7, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Oil
Masking
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-7
Montmorillonite
AbsorbentIllite
Abrasive
Kaolin
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glycol Distearate, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Panthenol, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Oil, Menthyl Lactate, Mentha Piperita Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyquaternium-7, Montmorillonite, Illite, Kaolin, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis essential oil is steam-distilled from peppermint leaves, also known as peppermint oil. It's mainly used for scent in skincare but also provides that signature "cooling" sensation.
Peppermint oil is a "feels amazing" ingredient until it doesn't.
At higher doses or for those with sensitive skin, methol-type cooling can quickly turn into burning/irritation. It can also trigger irritant dermatitis or even allergic contact dermatitis. In a large patch-test dataset, peppermint oil had a low but positive rate for this.
In cosmetics, Cosmetic Safety Reviews (CIR) concludes that peppermint oil is safe to use when formulated to be non-sensitizing with some restrictions; for instance, pulegone, a naturally occurring component of peppermint oil, should not exceed 1%.
Since peppermint oil contains fragrance allergens such as limonene, linalool, and menthol, it can be sensitizing for those with rosacea, eczema, a broken skin barrier, or just sensitive skin in general.
In Japan, this ingredient is known as Hakka Yu.
Learn more about Mentha Piperita OilMenthyl lactate is an ester of menthol and lactic acid. It is often used as a cooling agent and fragrance.
When applied topically, this ingredient leaves a refreshing sensation like menthol, but is less irritating.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPolyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.
According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.
Sodium 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
