What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingPolyacrylate-33
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Rosa Centifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Nopalea Cochenillifera Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Pectin
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Polyacrylate-33, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Lauryl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Rosa Centifolia Extract, Propylene Glycol, Xylitol, Glucose, Anhydroxylitol, Nopalea Cochenillifera Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycolic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Pectin, Arginine, Proline, Serine, Butylene Glycol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingXylitol
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingAnhydroxylitol
Humectant
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningCopper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingIngredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is created from dehydrating xylitol in acidic conditions. Xylitol is a famous sugar and humectant.
Much like its predecessor, anhydroxylitol is a humectant. Humectants attract and hold water to moisturize the skin.
This ingredient is most commonly found in a popular trio called Aquaxyl. Aquaxyl is made up of anhydroxylitol (24 - 34%), xylitylglucoside (35 - 50%), and xylitol (5 - 15%).
According to a manufacturer, Aquaxyl is known for a 3-D hydration concept and an anti-dehydration shield to reinforce the outer layer of skin.
This ingredient is often derived from plants such as wood and sugarcane.
Learn more about AnhydroxylitolThis ingredient is a mild surfactant made by sticking glucose onto a blend of fatty acids.
It does two jobs because it has a sugar head that loves water and a fatty tail that loves oil:
Typical use levels range from 10-20% in cleansers and 15-30% in shower products.
Once on your skin, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down into glucose and the parent fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe because its fatty alcohol portion sits outside the Malassezia yeast's metabolization range.
Learn more about Caprylyl/Capryl GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.
Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.
It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.
Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.
Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.
In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.
Learn more about GlucosePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 WaterXylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.
In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.
The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.
As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.
Learn more about Xylitol
