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 ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Glyceryl Stearates
Emollient
Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPCA
Humectant
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Histidine
Humectant
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Threonine
Valine
MaskingLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Sodium Carbonate
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Lauryl Glucoside, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Coconut Acid, Colloidal Oatmeal, Glyceryl Stearates, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter, Sodium PCA, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Sodium Lactate, Coco-Glucoside, Oleic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PCA, Alanine, Arginine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Palmitic Acid, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Aspartic Acid, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide
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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCocamidopropyl 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-GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinLauryl 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 GlucosideSodium 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.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium 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 IsethionateSodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCAStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
