What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingTrehalose
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingZinc PCA
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Trehalose, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Gluconolactone, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Caprylyl Glycol, Capryloyl Glycine, Sodium Hydroxide, Zinc PCA, Allantoin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
PEG-8
HumectantSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Trehalose
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingDisodium EDTA
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tetrasodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Xylitol
Humectant
Deoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, PEG-8, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Trehalose, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Allantoin, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Disodium EDTA, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Pentylene Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Xylitol, Deoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea, Glucose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinPeg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate is used to improve texture and stability of a product. It is sugar based and helps thicken a product.
Once applied, it also creates a thin film to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
This ingredient is the polyethylene glycol ether of the diester of oleic acid and methylglucose. The 120 represents an average of 120 moles of ethylene oxide.
There is limited research on this ingredient, although it is considered safe to use in skincare products.
Learn more about PEG-120 Methyl Glucose DioleatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium 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 BenzoateTrehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.
In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.
Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.
Learn more about TrehaloseWater. 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
