What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
AbrasivePentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
BufferingLactic Acid
BufferingSerine
MaskingBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningUrea
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSorbitol
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSorbic Acid
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Serine, Beta-Glucan, Urea, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sorbitol, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Rice Branate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
SolventCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Eicosanedioate/Tetradecanedioate
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantDecyl Glucoside
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Rice Branate, Propanediol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Eicosanedioate/Tetradecanedioate, Betaine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polyglutamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
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 AlcoholCaprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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