What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium EDTA
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Caprylyl Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Silk, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Propanediol, Glycerin, Benzoic Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Laurate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Sodium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Lauramide Mipa
Glucose
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polyquaternium-10
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingPoly(C20-28 Olefin)
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
PEG-16 Macadamia Glycerides
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sodium Ascorbate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Gluconate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Panthenol, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Lauramide Mipa, Glucose, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Poly(C20-28 Olefin), Potassium Sorbate, PEG-16 Macadamia Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, Parfum
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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneParfum 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.
Potassium 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 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 SulfonateWater. 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
