Face Cleanser
Face Cleanser
American United States
American United States

What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking
Coconut Derived IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Cleansing
Coconut Derived Icon

Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate

Surfactant

Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer

Silicon Icon

Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate

Emollient

Ceramide NP

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Phytosterols

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Palmitic Acid

Emollient
2 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Stearic Acid

Cleansing
2-3 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydrogenated Coconut Acid

Emollient
Coconut Derived IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydrolyzed Cottonseed Protein

Skin Conditioning

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconEU Allergen Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Masking
0-2 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

C12-13 Pareth-3

Emulsifying

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Skin Conditioning
3 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconFragrance IconCan worsen Dry Skin Icon

Citrus Reticulata Leaf Oil

Masking
Oil IconFragrance Icon

Myristic Acid

Cleansing
3 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Trideceth-12

Emulsifying

Jasminum Officinale Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconFragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Linoleic Acid

Cleansing
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil

Masking
Oil IconFragrance Icon

Cananga Odorata Flower Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconFragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Citrus Limon Peel Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconFragrance IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Cymbopogon Martini Oil

Masking
Oil Icon

Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconFragrance IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea IconEU Allergen Icon

Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconFragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Salvia Sclarea Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil Icon

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Masking
May cause irritation Icon

Decyl Glucoside

Cleansing
Coconut Derived Icon

Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles

Masking

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil

Astringent
Oil Icon

Guaiacum Officinale Wood Oil

Masking
Oil IconFragrance Icon

Rosa Damascena Flower Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconFragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Zingiber Officinale Root Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconFragrance IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Disodium EDTA

Equisetum Arvense Extract

Astringent

Humulus Lupulus Extract

Antimicrobial

Pinus Sylvestris Cone Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial

Hexylene Glycol

Emulsifying
0-2 / 0-1

Linolenic Acid

Cleansing
Fragrance IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning
Good for Barrier Repair Icon

Aminomethyl Propanol

Buffering

Sodium Chloride

Masking

Sodium Isethionate

Cleansing

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Polysilicone-11

Silicon IconGood for Oily Skin Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

PEG-12 Dimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Limonene

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea IconEU Allergen Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Water

Skin Conditioning

Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate

Cleansing

Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer

Cleansing

Lauryl Glucoside

Cleansing

Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate

Cleansing

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Learn more about Butylene Glycol
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl 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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Masking, Skin Conditioning

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil comes from the seeds of the safflower plant. It is a skin conditioning agent that helps soften skin and keep it hydrated.

This seed oil has an unusual fatty acid profile: it is one of the highest linoleic acid plant oils out there (~55-77%). It also has low amounts of oleic acid, and this high-linoleic/low-oleic ratio gets people excited.

Linoleic acid helps maintain skin barrier integrity and is a building block for the ceramides in your stratum corneum. Notably, people with acne tend to have lower linoleic acid in their skin lipids as well (and this gets worse as acne gets more severe).

Overall, it's a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil that has a long safety track record. Lab testing has found it to be non-irritating for skin or eyes.

The Malassezia yeast can metabolize the fatty acids in this oil to grow; therefore this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Learn more about Ethylhexylglycerin
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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 Glycerin
Perfuming, Solvent

Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.

It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".

Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.

When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.

The term '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.

Learn more about Limonene
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Pentylene 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 Glycol
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol 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.

Masking

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 Chloride
Buffering

Sodium 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 Hydroxide
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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

Similar Comparisons