What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Laurate
CleansingSodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Methyltaurate
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Tetrasodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Benzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Glutamic Acid, Lauric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Laurate, Sodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate, Sodium Methyltaurate, Stearic Acid, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Tetrasodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientGlycol Palmitate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Triceteareth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
PEG-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rhamnose
HumectantStearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAlumina
Abrasive
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Isohexadecane, Glycol Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triceteareth-4 Phosphate, Fructooligosaccharides, Mannitol, Xylitol, Glycol Stearate, PEG-2 Stearate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Rhamnose, Stearic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Alumina
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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 CrosspolymerCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, 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 GlycerinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideStearic 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
