What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Isethionate
CleansingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Stearate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Soy Acid
EmollientParfum
Masking
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Sodium Laurate
CleansingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Tetrasodium Etidronate
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Water, Sodium Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Soy Acid, Parfum, Colloidal Oatmeal, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Synthetic Wax, Sodium Laurate, Sodium Benzoate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Stearate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Palmitate
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingJojoba Esters
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Palm Kernelate
CleansingTetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Punica Granatum Seed Powder
Abrasive
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Sodium Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Jojoba Esters, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Zinc Oxide, Punica Granatum Seed Powder, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, CI 77491, CI 77891, CI 17200
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineHydrated Silica is a type of silicon dioxide. It is called 'hydrated silica' because it is silica with extra bonded water atoms.
It is an absorbent and abrasive, meaning it is exfoliating.
Silica is often used for absorption and can help reduce shine when products are applied.
Learn more about Hydrated SilicaHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneParfum 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 ParfumSodium 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 ChlorideWe don't have a description for Sodium Isethionate yet.
Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid.
The structure of sodium stearate makes it both a cleanser and emulsifier. As a cleanser, it helps dissolve dirt, oil, and other pollutants. As an emulsifier, it helps prevent ingredients from separating. This adds stability to the formula.
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
