What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingLaureth-7 Citrate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingPolyquaternium-7
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLaureth-2
CleansingTriethanolamine
BufferingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButeth-3
SolventSodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate
UV AbsorberTributyl Citrate
SolventTris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate
StabilisingCitric Acid
BufferingPEG/PPG-120/10 Trimethylolpropane Trioleate
Isopropyl Myristate
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantHydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
EmollientLecithin
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Laureth-7 Citrate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-7, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Laureth-2, Triethanolamine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Buteth-3, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Tributyl Citrate, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate, Citric Acid, PEG/PPG-120/10 Trimethylolpropane Trioleate, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Linalool, CI 16035, CI 17200
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantLauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycol Distearate
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientCoco-Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningFructooligosaccharides
HumectantInulin
Skin ConditioningLecithin
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingParfum
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
PreservativeHydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycol Distearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, Inulin, Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Panthenol, Sorbic Acid, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides 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.
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 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-GlucosideGlyceryl Oleate is the monoester of glycerin and oleic acid. It is a skin-conditioning emollient that also helps form emulsions.
What makes glyceryl oleate special is its "re-fatting" effect.
When you wash your hair and skin with a surfactant-based cleanser, the surfactants grab onto everything. This includes your skin's natural lipids, or the fats that live in your skin barrier and sebum. Once you rinse these surfactants away, it leaves your skin feeling tight, dry, and clean (in a not-good way).
Re-fatting is essentially putting some of these lipids back. Glyceryl oleate deposits a thin layer of emollient lipids back on the skin or hair surface reduce some of the barrier damage.
Also, glyceryl oleate isn't a foreign molecule to your skin. It's chemically identical to something your skin already produces and manages naturally. This is why it tends to be well-tolerated with low risk of irritation.
Typical use levels range from 0.5-5%.
Glyceryl Oleate has a function of "perfuming" in the CosIng database. This just means that the ingredient has some scent character that can contribute to the product's overall smell.
The scent of this ingredient is described as "waxy".
As an ester of oleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. This is because oleic acid falls into the carbon-chain length that Malassezia can use as a substrate.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleateThis ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChlorideLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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