What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingInulin
Skin ConditioningPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantCoco-Glucoside
CleansingGlycol Distearate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningMel Extract
MoisturisingRetinol
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantInulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantSucrose
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantBetaine
HumectantPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningFructose
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
EmollientBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeLecithin
EmollientSucrose Laurate
EmollientParfum
MaskingBHT
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBHA
AntioxidantDisodium EDTA
Benzoic Acid
MaskingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Inulin, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Glycol Distearate, Pentylene Glycol, Mel Extract, Retinol, Tocopherol, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sucrose, Hydroxyacetophenone, Betaine, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Glyceryl Oleate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Fructose, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 20, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Lecithin, Sucrose Laurate, Parfum, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, BHA, Disodium EDTA, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingDisodium 2-Sulfolaurate
CleansingPEG-2 Cocamide
EmulsifyingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPEG-150 Distearate
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingUrtica Dioica Extract
AstringentOleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningAesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract
HumectantOryza Sativa Bran Oil
EmollientSilk Amino Acids
HumectantRice Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningKeratin Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCreatine
Skin ConditioningApigenin
AntioxidantBiotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Lactic Acid
BufferingZinc Picolinate
SoothingGlycerin
HumectantIsopropyl Alcohol
SolventButylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
SolventButyloctanol
HumectantDicetyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingSilicone Quaternium-16
Skin ConditioningPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningGlycol Distearate
EmollientGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningUndeceth-11
EmollientPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate
CleansingSteareth-4
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingUndeceth-5
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-7
Polyquaternium-10
Disodium EDTA
Trisodium Hedta
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialSorbic Acid
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingParfum
MaskingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingWater, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, PEG-2 Cocamide, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-150 Distearate, Panthenol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Oleanolic Acid, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Silk Amino Acids, Rice Amino Acids, Keratin Amino Acids, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Creatine, Apigenin, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Lactic Acid, Zinc Picolinate, Glycerin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Butyloctanol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Silicone Quaternium-16, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Glycol Distearate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Undeceth-11, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate, Steareth-4, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Undeceth-5, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, Disodium EDTA, Trisodium Hedta, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Citric Acid, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxycitronellal
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCocamidopropyl 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 is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 DistearateThis ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChlorideParfum 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.
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