What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingSodium PCA
HumectantDisodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate
EmulsifyingSodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate
CleansingParfum
MaskingLauramidopropylamine Oxide
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingSodium Chloride
MaskingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingSodium Methyl Isethionate
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingLauric Acid
CleansingDisodium 2-Sulfolaurate
CleansingMyristamidopropylamine Oxide
CleansingPolyquaternium-7
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
ChelatingSodium Laurate
CleansingLimonene
PerfumingPolygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLinalool
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 61570
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium PCA, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Parfum, Lauramidopropylamine Oxide, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Panthenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Lauric Acid, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Myristamidopropylamine Oxide, Polyquaternium-7, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Laurate, Limonene, Polygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Citronellol, CI 14700, CI 61570, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingSodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate
CleansingPolyquaternium-70
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Benzoate
MaskingDisodium 2-Sulfolaurate
CleansingPolyquaternium-7
Polyquaternium-10
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingGlycol Distearate
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
ChelatingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientLimonene
PerfumingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Polyquaternium-70, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Glycol Distearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Limonene, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCitric 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.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
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-GlucosideDecyl 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 GlucosideWe don't have a description for Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate yet.
Glyceryl 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 OleateLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimoneneParfum 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 “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” 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 ParfumPolyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.
According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Sodium 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 Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate is a gentle, sulfate-free cleansing agent. It's basically a mild "soap" molecule derived from coconut that makes a soft, cream foam and is very soluble in water.
Typical concentration use ranges from ~0.6-10% in rinse off products and only trace amounts (~0.009%) in leave on products.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has assessed it and concluded it to be safe as used at these concentrations when formulated to be non-irritating.
Allergy and sensitization risk is low and often when someone reacts to a cleanser it's due to the fragrance or preservatives rather than this ingredient itself.
Learn more about Sodium Lauroyl Methyl IsethionateWe don't have a description for Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate yet.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.
Water. 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