What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Kaolin
Abrasive
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Bentonite
Absorbent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract
Antimicrobial
Trisodium EDTA
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propylene Glycol, Kaolin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Bentonite, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Salicylic Acid, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Lactic Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol, Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract, Trisodium EDTA, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Bentonite
Absorbent
Sulfur 3.3%
Antiseborrhoeic
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Malic Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Quartz
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Bentonite, Sulfur 3.3%, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Glutamic Acid, Malic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Coconut Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Quartz, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bentonite is an aluminium phyllosilicate clay with great absorbent properties. The name 'bentonite' comes from the area where the largest source is found: Fort Benton, Wyoming.
As a clay, bentonite is often used to absorb excess oil and provide exfoliation. It has also been shown to have some antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show bentonite was effective at calming dermatitis from poison ivy and in diaper dermatitis of infants. Bentonite has also been shown to act as a barrier against toxic compounds on your skin.
Sunscreens containing bentonite display higher water resistance and stay on the skin for much longer. The sunscreens containing bentonite also show higher potency and UV light absorbtion.
Bentonite is naturally created from volcanic ash and several natural weathering/hydrothermal processes.
A common usage of bentonite is removing excess protein from white wines. Bentonite contains a property of being able to absorb large amounts of protein from aqueous solutions.
Phyllosilicate clay has a structure formed by sheets.
Learn more about BentoniteWe don't have a description for Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate yet.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidChances 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 ChlorideWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
