What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMethylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Blue 1 Lake
Cosmetic ColorantSalicylic Acid 2%, Water, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycerin, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Menthyl Lactate, Benzophenone-4, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Parfum, Blue 1 Lake
Water
Skin ConditioningPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Citrus Grandis Peel Extract
Astringent
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Foeniculum Vulgare Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantMenthyl Lactate
Masking
Tetrasodium EDTA
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Water, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Citrus Grandis Peel Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare Seed Extract, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethoxydiglycol, Menthyl Lactate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone
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 GlycerinMenthyl lactate is an ester of menthol and lactic acid. It is often used as a cooling agent and fragrance.
When applied topically, this ingredient leaves a refreshing sensation like menthol, but is less irritating.
Methylchloroisothiazolinone, or MCI, is a synthetic preservative used to protect against the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi in water-based products.
MCI is commonly combined with methylisothiazolinone (MI) in a 3:1 ratio.
This ingredient is safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-sensitizing and concentrations must not exceed 7.5 ppm in leave-on products / 15 ppm in rinse-off products.
Unfortunately, this ingredient has a well-documented sensitization story. Studies spanning several decades have shown this ingredient + MI to cause skin irritation and allergies.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
This just means this ingredient is most likely non-sensitizing in rinse-off products unless you've been diagnosed with a contact allergy to isothiazolinones.
Learn more about MethylchloroisothiazolinoneMI is a preservative and known skin irritant. In the past, MI was used for its ability to prevent bacteria, yeast, and fungi growth in low doses.
Nowadays, you'll most likely see MI combined with Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI).
Since then, numerous studies have shown this ingredient to cause contact dermatitis, or skin irritation.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
Learn more about MethylisothiazolinonePEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilWe don't have a description for PPG-26-Buteth-26 yet.
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
