What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sea Water
HumectantChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Algin
Glycerin
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingSodium Oleate
CleansingSodium Oleoyl Sarcosinate
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sea Water, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Hydrolyzed Algin, Glycerin, Carbomer, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Oleate, Sodium Oleoyl Sarcosinate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Punica Granatum Fruit Water
AstringentSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingSodium Oleoyl Sarcosinate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Oleate
CleansingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Sodium Sulfate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Punica Granatum Fruit Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Oleoyl Sarcosinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Oleate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Sodium Sulfate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Limonene, CI 14700
Reviews
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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Chances 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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is an organic salt with a naturally sweet odor. It is an alternative to traditional sulfates and is commonly found in "sulfate-free" products.
In cosmetics, this ingredient is used to increase the volume of foam, emulsify ingredients, and as a cleansing agent.
As a cleansing agent, sodium lauryl sulfoacetate helps reduce the surface tension of dirt, oil, and other pollutants so they can be rinsed away easily.
Cosmetic Ingredient Review found this ingredient to irritate the eyes and skin in concentrations of 0.18% and 0.7%.
Learn more about Sodium Lauryl SulfoacetateWe don't have a description for Sodium Oleate yet.
We don't have a description for Sodium Oleoyl Sarcosinate yet.
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
