What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPerlite
Absorbent
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPaullinia Cupana Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningVinegar
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Glycerin
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Perlite, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Paullinia Cupana Seed Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract, Vinegar, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-10, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf
Skin ConditioningCymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil
Masking
Salix Alba Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Acetum
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Polydiallyl Phthalate
Polyquaternium-10
Citric Acid
Buffering
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Water, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Salix Alba Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Acetum, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Polydiallyl Phthalate, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Mentha Piperita Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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 BetaineDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
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-10Water. 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 WaterZingiber Officinale is more commonly known as ginger.
Ginger root has antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and antimicrobial properties.
The antioxidant properties help protect your body from free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. As a result, ginger may help slow down signs of aging such as hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.
Studies show ginger inhibits the enzyme that breaks down collagen. It also helps with:
This ingredient has no negative side-effects and is safe to use unless one has a specific allergy to it.
Ginger originates from Southeast Asia but has spread throughout the world. It is now a common spice used in many cultures.
Learn more about Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
