What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Abrasive
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingParfum
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Palmitate
CleansingBHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingSodium Stearate
CleansingTetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Palm Kernelate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingMethylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Alumina
Abrasive
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantOryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
CI 74160
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Lauric Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Parfum, Silica, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Palmitate, BHT, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Stearate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Chloride, Methylisothiazolinone, Zinc Oxide, Alumina, CI 77891, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, CI 74160
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides
EmollientMenthol
Masking
PPG-9
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate
CleansingHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide Mea, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Hydroxystearic Acid, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides, Menthol, PPG-9, Citric Acid, Sodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, CI 42090, CI 17200, CI 19140
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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 AcidCocamidopropyl 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 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 ChlorideThis cleansing agent is derived from coconuts. You might know it as "SLI".
SLI is known for giving products a creamy lather while providing a gentle cleanse. You can find this product in face cleansers, shampoos, and body washes.
According to a manufacturer, it is stable in water-based formulations with a pH of 6-8. This ingredient is fully soluble in hot water and partially soluble in cold water.
Learn more about Sodium Lauroyl IsethionateStearic 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
