What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Palmitate
CleansingSodium Stearate
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Potassium Palmitate
EmulsifyingPotassium Stearate
CleansingSodium Laurate
CleansingPotassium Laurate
EmulsifyingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Myristate
EmulsifyingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Myristate
CleansingPEG-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Salicornia Herbacea Extract
Skin ConditioningAlgae Extract
EmollientSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Palmitate, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Polyethylene, Potassium Palmitate, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Laurate, Potassium Laurate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Potassium Myristate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Myristate, PEG-3 Distearate, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Algae Extract, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Myristic Acid, Parfum, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidSodium Laurate is the sodium salt of lauric acid. It is a cleansing and emulsifying ingredient.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients such as water and oils from separating.
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 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
