What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sulfacetamide Sodium 10%
Zinc Pyrithione 0.5%
Antiseborrhoeic
Salicylic Acid 1%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Propanediol
Solvent
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Coconut Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXylitol
Humectant
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Isethionate
CleansingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlucose
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Sulfacetamide Sodium 10%, Zinc Pyrithione 0.5%, Salicylic Acid 1%, Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Propanediol, Xylitylglucoside, Coconut Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xylitol, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Isethionate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Glucose, Potassium Sorbate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientTranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Kojic Dipalmitate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Pullulan
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Niacinamide, Glycolic Acid, Diheptyl Succinate, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Kojic Dipalmitate, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Pullulan, Caprylyl Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
