What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Distearyl Phthalic Acid Amide
EmollientSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Distearyl Phthalic Acid Amide, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Isopropyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Ammonium Xylenesulfonate
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningQuillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingSaponaria Officinalis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningYucca Schidigera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Dimethyl Lauramine Oleate
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Dimethyl Mea
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Lauryl Alcohol
Emollient
Ammonium Sulfate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingOleic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Acetate
BufferingSodium Chloride
Masking
Sodium Glycolate
BufferingDimethylaminopropylamine
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Tetrasodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Ammonium Xylenesulfonate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Root Extract, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Polysorbate 20, Dimethyl Lauramine Oleate, Polyquaternium-10, Dimethyl Mea, Citric Acid, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Lauryl Alcohol, Ammonium Sulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Oleic Acid, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Glycolate, Dimethylaminopropylamine, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Sulfite, Disodium EDTA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineDisodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.
As a surfactant, Hexylene Glycol helps gather dirt and oil on your skin to be washed away.
As an emulsifier, Hexylene Glycol helps keep water and oil together. This prevents them from separating in a product. Hexylene Glycol also thins out the texture of a product by lessening viscosity.
Hexylene Glycol has a small molecular weight.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolIsopropyl Alcohol is more commonly known as rubbing alcohol. It is most commonly used as a solvent, meaning it helps other ingredients dissolve.
This ingredient is an astringent alcohol. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin as they high amounts may strip away your skin's natural oils.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Isopropyl AlcoholPeg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate is used to improve texture and stability of a product. It is sugar based and helps thicken a product.
Once applied, it also creates a thin film to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
This ingredient is the polyethylene glycol ether of the diester of oleic acid and methylglucose. The 120 represents an average of 120 moles of ethylene oxide.
There is limited research on this ingredient, although it is considered safe to use in skincare products.
Learn more about PEG-120 Methyl Glucose DioleatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Chances 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.
There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.
The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.
Scrubs may use salt as the 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
