What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientHydroxystearic Acid
CleansingStearic Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientSodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
AbrasiveParfum
MaskingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
EmulsifyingPPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
EmulsifyingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantGlycerin, Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydroxystearic Acid, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Parfum, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Hexyl Cinnamal, Beta-Carotene, Caramel
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Glycinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingLauric Acid
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantParfum
MaskingBHT
AntioxidantButylene Glycol
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDMDM Hydantoin
PreservativeIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
PreservativeNelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSine Adipe Lac
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Germ Oil
EmollientPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Isethionate
CleansingStearic Acid
CleansingTetrasodium EDTA
Trideceth-9
EmulsifyingZinc Oxide
Cosmetic ColorantBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingCoumarin
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Lauroyl Glycinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Sodium Chloride, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Parfum, BHT, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Sine Adipe Lac, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Oryza Sativa Germ Oil, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Trideceth-9, Zinc Oxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, CI 17200
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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexyl Cinnamal is a fragrance ingredient with a similar scent to jasmine. It can be naturally found in chamomile essential oil.
This ingredient is a known EU allergen and may sensitize the skin. The EU requires this ingredient to be listed separately on an ingredients list.
Hexyl Cinnamal is not water soluble but is soluble in oils.
Learn more about Hexyl CinnamalParfum 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 ParfumPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate is an emulsifier, thickener, and mild conditioner.
It's made by esterifying and pentaerythritol with stearic acid, and then attaching 150 units of ethylene oxide to make it water-friendly.
This structure lets it bridge oil and water to prevent ingredients from separating and keep formulas stable. It is also the reason it gives cosmetics a creamy feel without the greasiness.
The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be well-tolerated. Human repeated patch testing on the undiluted version has come back negative for irritation and sensitization. On top of that, its large molecule size makes skin penetration unlikely.
Usage concentration ranges from 5% in rinse-off to 1.8% in leave-on formulas.
Because this ingredient is derived from stearic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl TetrastearateWe don't have a description for PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide yet.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateChances 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 ChlorideStearic 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