What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium PCA
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhragmites Karka Extract
Skin ConditioningPoria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopentyldiol, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Sodium PCA, Coco-Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycol Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cellulose Gum, Allantoin, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Phragmites Karka Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Laureth-4 Carboxylate
SurfactantGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsopentyldiol
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Fructose
Humectant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Potassium Laureth-4 Carboxylate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Isopentyldiol, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Inulin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Saccharide Isomerate, Zinc PCA, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Niacinamide, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Fructose, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric 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-GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinIsopentyldiol is a synthetic solvent, humectant, and emollient.
Humectants have the ability to attract and hold water while emollients create a thin film to prevent water from evaporating. This combination keeps your skin and hair soft and hydrated. Plus, isopentyldiol does not leave a sticky feeling behind.
As a surfactant, isopentyldiol is a hydrotrope. Hydrotropes help surfactants (cleansing agents) dissolve into water.
According to the manufacturer, using this ingredient with sorbitol boosts skin hydration and helps close cuticles of damaged hair.
This ingredient is water-soluble.
Learn more about IsopentyldiolLauryl Glucoside sugar- and lipid-based cleansing agent. It is created from glucose and lauryl alcohol.
This ingredient is a surfactant, making it easier to rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants away.
A British study found lauryl glucoside to cause skin sensitivity for some people. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Other names for this ingredient include "Lauryl Polyglucose", "Lauryl glycoside", and "D-Glucopyranoside".
Learn more about Lauryl GlucosidePentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateSodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateWater. 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
