What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingDimethiconol/Silsesquioxane Copolymer
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Isohexadecane
EmollientParfum
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Glycerin
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Sodium Sulfate
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Dimethiconol/Silsesquioxane Copolymer, Behentrimonium Chloride, Isohexadecane, Parfum, Lactic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Trehalose, Trideceth-6, Cetrimonium Chloride, Sodium Sulfate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
CleansingAcrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Tea-Sulfate
Buffering
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningMica
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Sulfate
Trehalose
Humectant
PEG-45m
HumectantCyclotetrasiloxane
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Silica
Abrasive
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Dimethiconol, Glycol Distearate, Parfum, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Glycerin, Cocamide Mea, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Tea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Tea-Sulfate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Mica, Sodium Sulfate, Trehalose, PEG-45m, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Silica, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, BHT, Methylisothiazolinone
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 EDTAGluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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 ParfumChances 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 ChlorideSodium Sulfate is a type of sulfate.
Trehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.
In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.
Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.
Learn more about TrehaloseWater. 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
