What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingLauric Acid
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantSorbitol
HumectantMyristic Acid
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingPropylene Glycol
HumectantKojic Acid
AntioxidantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingSodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSalicylic Acid
MaskingTriclosan
PreservativeAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Glycolic Acid
BufferingLactic Acid
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
MaskingWater, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Myristic Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Kojic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Triclosan, Allantoin, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tocopherol, Ascorbic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Parfum
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Water
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantSodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Acrylates Copolymer
Lauric Acid
CleansingLauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPolybutene
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeStearic Acid
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingParfum
MaskingPolyquaternium-6
Citric Acid
BufferingBHT
AntioxidantTetrasodium EDTA
Coconut Acid
CleansingSodium Isethionate
CleansingIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
PreservativeAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Water, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Acrylates Copolymer, Lauric Acid, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Polybutene, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Parfum, Polyquaternium-6, Citric Acid, BHT, Tetrasodium EDTA, Coconut Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene
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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidParfum 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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