What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Laureth-23
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Panthenyl Ethyl Ether
Magnesium Nitrate
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Pantethine
EmollientPolyquaternium-7
Polyquaternium-10
Sodium Acetate
BufferingIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLaureth-3
EmulsifyingTrisodium Sulfosuccinate
BufferingGlycol Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Sulfate
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Coco-Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Decyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Laureth-23, Glycol Distearate, Glycereth-26, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Phenyl Trimethicone, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Magnesium Nitrate, Sodium PCA, Pantethine, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Potassium Hydroxide, Laureth-3, Trisodium Sulfosuccinate, Glycol Stearate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Sulfate, Parfum, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamide Mipa
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyquaternium-53
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Polyacrylate-32
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Triethanolamine
BufferingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Coumarin
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Gossypium Herbaceum Extract
Skin ConditioningGossypium Herbaceum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamide Mipa, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polyquaternium-53, Salicylic Acid, Coco-Betaine, Polyacrylate-32, Limonene, Triethanolamine, Maltodextrin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Coumarin, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Amyl Cinnamal, Phenoxyethanol, Gossypium Herbaceum Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Coco-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.
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 GlycerinGlycol Distearate is an emulsifier and emollient that adds a "pearly" appearance to formulations.
That lustrous look you see in many shampoos is due to this ingredient: when cooled, it crystallizes into small platelets that reflect light to give products that rich, shimmering look.
This ingredient is considered safe at present practices of use and concentration and repeated insult patch test with 50% Glycol Distearate on 125 subjects found no evidence of skin irritation, hypersensitivity, or acute toxicity.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.1-10%.
Because it's an ester of stearic acid, it falls into the range that Malassezia likes to metabolize. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateHexyl Cinnamal is a fragrance ingredient with a similar scent to jasmine. It can be naturally found in chamomile essential oil.
This ingredient is a known EU allergen and may sensitize the skin. The EU requires this ingredient to be listed separately on an ingredients list.
Hexyl Cinnamal is not water soluble but is soluble in oils.
Learn more about Hexyl CinnamalLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateChances 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 ChlorideWater. 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
