What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingSorbitol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingPEG-150 Distearate
EmulsifyingGlycolic Acid
BufferingParfum
MaskingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Arbutin
AntioxidantCeramide Ag
HumectantOryza Sativa Cera
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningSphingolipids
EmollientGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventMyrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, PEG-150 Distearate, Glycolic Acid, Parfum, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, Ceramide Ag, Oryza Sativa Cera, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Propanediol, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, CI 19140, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Propanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantParfum
MaskingSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingSalicylic Acid
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCellulose
AbsorbentOryza Sativa Cera
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Amorphophallus Konjac Root
HumectantPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningSphingolipids
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Propanediol, Glycerin, Parfum, Saccharide Isomerate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Salicylic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hydroxide, Cellulose, Oryza Sativa Cera, Hydrolyzed Amorphophallus Konjac Root, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cocamidopropyl 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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Oryza Sativa Cera yet.
Parfum 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.
Phospholipids are a family of skin-identical lipids that makeup the structural backbone of every cell membrane in your body.
In cosmetics, they function as skin conditioning agents with emulsifier and surfactant properties. They're typically sourced from soybean or sunflower lecithin (or sometimes egg yolk or marine sources).
Because they mirror the lipids naturally found in the deeper layers of your skin, topical phospholipids help reinforce the lipid matrix, reduce transepidermal water loss, and leave skin feeling conditioned.
They're also used to form liposomes, or tiny self-assembling vesible used to stabilize actives like vitamin c or retinol. This helps these ingredients integrate into the upper layers of skin more easily.
Phospholipids are compatible with everything and the CIR Expert Panel has concluded them to be safe at current use levels.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe since phospholipids contain fatty acid chains in the C11-24 range that the malassezia yeast likes to feed on.
Some types of phospholipids include:
Learn more about PhospholipidsPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a surfactant that helps water and oil mix so that dirt, sweat, sebum, and sunscreen can rinse away easily. It's not technically a sulfate, but behaves similarly in formulas.
What it does:
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a strong cleansing surfactant and is much stronger than many mild cleansers. Because it works deeply, it can disrupt the skin's barrier. This can lead to dryness or irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Compared to gentler surfactants, it's effective but more likely to dry or irritate if not balanced with soothing ingredients.
CIR considers sodium α-olefin sulfonates (including C14-16) to be safe for use in rinse-off products when properly formulated. It is poorly absorbed through normal skin but absorption increases if the skin barrier is already damaged.
Learn more about Sodium C14-16 Olefin SulfonateSodium 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 HydroxideSphingolipids are a major class of lipids in cell membranes. This ingredient has emollient, skin conditioning, and skin protecting properties.
Certain ceramides are considered sphingolipids (Ceramide NS and Ceramid AP), but not all sphingolipids are ceramides.
Water. 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