What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingAcrylates Crosspolymer-4
Emulsion StabilisingBehenyl/Stearyl Aminopropanediol Esters
Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids
CleansingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningMusa Sapientum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPsidium Guajava Fruit Extract
AstringentCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientPotassium Dimethicone PEG-7 Panthenyl Phosphate
Skin ConditioningGlycol Distearate
EmollientSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingPhenethyl Benzoate
EmollientGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Laurate
CleansingSodium Sarcosinate
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeTetrasodium EDTA
Tocopherol
AntioxidantCeteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol
EmulsifyingDicocoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Polyquaternium-7
Sodium Benzoate
MaskingPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingBenzoic Acid
MaskingCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCoumarin
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingParfum
MaskingWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Decyl Glucoside, Acrylates Crosspolymer-4, Behenyl/Stearyl Aminopropanediol Esters, Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids, Panthenol, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Potassium Dimethicone PEG-7 Panthenyl Phosphate, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Glucoside, Phenethyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Oleate, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Laurate, Sodium Sarcosinate, Glyceryl Stearate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol, Dicocoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Benzoate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, CI 17200, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingParfum
MaskingSodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Polysorbate 20
EmulsifyingSodium Methyl Isethionate
EmulsifyingBetaine
HumectantLauric Acid
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingBrassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingGlycol Distearate
EmollientTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Polyquaternium-7
Phenethyl Benzoate
EmollientSodium Laurate
CleansingPolyquaternium-10
Coconut Acid
CleansingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingGenipa Americana Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCorn Starch Modified
AbsorbentGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCoumarin
PerfumingHydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Glycine Soja Oil
EmollientWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Parfum, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Methyl Isethionate, Betaine, Lauric Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Benzoate, Glycol Distearate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polyquaternium-7, Phenethyl Benzoate, Sodium Laurate, Polyquaternium-10, Coconut Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Genipa Americana Fruit Extract, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Corn Starch Modified, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Coumarin, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Glycine Soja Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
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 Benzyl AlcoholCitric 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 BetaineCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideCoumarins are a group of substances found naturally in plants. There are over 1300 types of coumarins identified. It has a natural vanilla scent.
Coumarin is an identified EU known allergy, meaning it may cause an allergic reaction when applied to the skin.
In many countries, coumarin is banned as a food additive. However, it can be found in soaps, tobacco products, and some alcohol drinks.
Plants use coumarins as a chemical defense. Some plants that have coumarins include lavender, tonka beans, and yellow clovers.
Learn more about CoumarinDecyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away. As an emulsion stabilizer, it stabilizes the ingredients in a product by preventing them from separating.
This ingredient is biodegradable and non-toxic. This ingredient is commonly found in baby shampoos.
Decyl Glucoside is sometimes used to stabilize the UV filter Tinosorb.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlyceryl Oleate is the ester of glycerin and oleic acid. This ingredient is mainly an emollient and emulsifier.
Emollients soften and hydrate the skin by creating a thin film on top to trap in moisture. As an emulsifier, glyceryl oleate helps stabilize formulations by preventing ingredients such as oil and water from separating. According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps helps thicken water-in-oil formulations, shower gels, and hair shampoos.
In some products, this ingredient may be used as a fragrance / perfuming ingredient. The scent of this ingredient is described to be "waxy".
Glyceryl oleate is created from oils rich in oleic acid, such as peanut oil and olive oil.
This ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleateGlyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
It is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.
As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.
In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateGlycol Distearate serves as a pearlizing or opacifying agent in cosmetic products.
It's often included in cleansers and haircare products to give them a lustrous or shimmering appearance.
It is derived from stearic acid, a natural fatty acid commonly found in vegetable oils and animal fats.
Glycol Distearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateThis ingredient is derived from guar gum.
It is a conditioning ingredient, meaning it helps soften skin and hair.
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 âFRAGRANCEâ or âPARFUMâ 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 ParfumPhenethyl Benzoate is a fragrance.
Polyquaternium-10 is an ammonium salt of hydroxyethylcellulose. It is a white and granular powder used as a film-former and anti-static agent.
This ingredient is commonly found in hair conditioning products. According to a manufacturer, its positive charge makes it great for absorbing hair proteins. The manufacturer also states this ingredient helps with curl retention.
For haircare friends: this ingredient is not a silicone.
Learn more about Polyquaternium-10Polyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.
According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.
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.
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 ChlorideSodium Laurate is the sodium salt of lauric acid. It is a cleansing and emulsifying ingredient.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients such as water and oils from separating.
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate is a cleansing ingredient. It is a surfactant, meaning it helps gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants. This helps them be rinsed away easily.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skinâs lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water