What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Water
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Acrylates Copolymer
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPolybutene
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Polyquaternium-6
Citric Acid
Buffering
BHT
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Water, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Acrylates Copolymer, Lauric Acid, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Polybutene, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Parfum, Polyquaternium-6, Citric Acid, BHT, Tetrasodium EDTA, Coconut Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Polyquaternium-6
Citric Acid
Buffering
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Carbonate
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Decyl Glucoside, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Niacinamide, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Coconut Acid, Polyquaternium-6, Citric Acid, PEG-150 Distearate, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Benzophenone-4, BHT, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Carbonate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Sulfite, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.
After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.
It is also used to make a product more thick.
Learn more about Acrylates CopolymerBHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.
As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.
The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.
However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.
Learn more about BHTCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCoconut acid is a mixture of fatty acids obtains by hydrolyzing coconut oil and then distilling the fatty acid portion. It works as a cleansing surfactant, emollient, and emulsifier depending on the formulation.
This ingredient is not a single compound but reflects the fatty acid profile of coconut oil itself, which is about 90% saturated. The dominant fatty acid is lauric acid (44-54%) and then myristic acid (13-19%). There are small amount of caprylic, capric, palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids.
Human testing from CIR has shown no indication this ingredient to be a primary irritant, sensitizer, or phototoxic compound. It's also COSMOS-approved for natural and organic products.
Due to the high fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Coconut AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate is a modified starch used to help thicken a product.
It is also used in foods.
We don't have a description for Lauramidopropyl Betaine yet.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
We don't have a description for Polyquaternium-6 yet.
We don't have a description for Sodium Lauroamphoacetate yet.
Stearic 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 AcidTetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
Water. 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
