What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingPolyquaternium-39
Polyquaternium-7
Squalane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Fomes Officinalis Extract
Skin ProtectingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Algin
Masking
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
Astringent
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Hypericum Perforatum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Pullulan
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tilia Cordata Flower Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-150 Distearate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Polyquaternium-39, Polyquaternium-7, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Fomes Officinalis Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trehalose, Urea, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Serine, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Algin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Hypericum Perforatum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate, Pullulan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tilia Cordata Flower Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cocamidopropyl 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 BetaineEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
