What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Triethanolamine
BufferingSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Menthol
Masking
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
CI 16185
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Triethanolamine, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Citric Acid, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Mentha Piperita Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Menthol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, CI 16185
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Acrylates Copolymer
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Castoryl Maleate
Skin ConditioningBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPapain
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyquaternium-7
Disodium EDTA
Triethanolamine
BufferingParfum
Masking
CI 16255
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, Castoryl Maleate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Papain, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glyceryl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-7, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Parfum, CI 16255, CI 15985
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinTriethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
