What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Heptyl Glucoside
SurfactantOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propanediol, Glycerin, Biotin, Panthenol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Charcoal Powder, Mentha Piperita Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Menthyl Lactate, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Heptyl Glucoside, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Polyacrylamide
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Faex Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Zinc Chloride
AntimicrobialGlycine
Buffering
Larix Europaea Wood Extract
HumectantFerric Sulfate
HumectantManganese Sulfate
Skin ConditioningZinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sulfate
Copper Sulfate
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Sulfate
CI 77231
Cosmetic ColorantCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantInosine
Skin ConditioningPyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningThiamine Hcl
MaskingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Inositol
Humectant
Glycosaminoglycans
EmollientPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Glycine Soja Germ Extract
EmollientSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Polyacrylamide, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Faex Extract, Xanthan Gum, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Sodium Hydroxide, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Zinc Chloride, Glycine, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Ferric Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Potassium Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, CI 77231, Cyanocobalamin, Riboflavin, Inosine, Pyridoxine Hcl, Thiamine Hcl, Niacinamide, Biotin, Panthenol, Inositol, Glycosaminoglycans, Potassium Sorbate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholBiotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol 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 PanthenolPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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 WaterXanthan 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
