What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSorbitol
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-6
Glycerin
Humectant
Tetrasodium Etidronate
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Hedta
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sorbitol, Sucrose, Myristic Acid, Isostearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Diglycerin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Sodium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polyquaternium-6, Glycerin, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Pentylene Glycol, Trisodium Hedta, Phenoxyethanol
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningSucrose
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxylauric Acid
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCocoyl Glutamic Acid
Cleansing
Etidronic Acid
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract
Emollient
Artemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract
Skin ConditioningFoeniculum Vulgare Fruit Extract
EmollientPinellia Ternata Tuber Extract
Skin ConditioningDiospyros Kaki Leaf Extract
Skin Protecting
Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract
Masking
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningZiziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
Astringent
Prunus Mume Fruit Extract
Humectant
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract
Masking
Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Rhizome Extract
AntimicrobialPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonum Multiflorum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Prunus Persica Kernel Extract
MoisturisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dipropylene Glycol, Myristic Acid, Water, Sucrose, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Hydroxylauric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Alcohol Denat., Potassium Hydroxide, Cocoyl Glutamic Acid, Etidronic Acid, Glyceryl Glucoside, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare Fruit Extract, Pinellia Ternata Tuber Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Zingiber Officinale Rhizome Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Seed Extract, Prunus Persica Kernel Extract, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
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 GlycerinMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPhenoxyethanol 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.
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 ChlorideSorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a hydrating and moisturizing agent created from the reduction process of glucose.
Most sorbitol is usually made from potato starch. It is also found in fruits such as apples and pears.
As a humectant, Sorbitol helps draw water to the skin. This helps keep the skin hydrated. Sorbitol also helps create a thicker texture in products. You might find sorbitol in your toothpaste and other gels.
It is a non-irritating ingredient that is great for those with dry skin.
Sorbitol is a prebiotic. It helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria on your skin. The bacteria on your skin form a microbiome. This microbiome helps protect your skin from infection and harmful bacteria.
Learn more about SorbitolStearic 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 AcidSucrose is a natural sugar found in fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It is the main constituent of white sugar.
In skincare, sucrose is a humectant and can be a mild exfoliant.
Sucrose is hydrophilic, meaning it attracts water. This makes it an effective humectant and helps hydrate the skin.
Studies show sugars may worsen acne-prone skin due to it disrupting the skin's natural biome. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
In some products such as body scrubs, sucrose is used as an gentle exfoliant.
The term 'sucrose' comes from the french word for sugar, 'sucre'.
Learn more about SucroseWater. 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
