What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamide Mipa
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Polyester-37
Skin ConditioningSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Silk Amino Acids
HumectantHydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Sunflower Seed Oil Glycerides
Emollient
Sericin
Skin ConditioningDisunfloweroylethyl Dimonium Chloride
Lauryl Lactyl Lactate
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polyquaternium-10
Polyquaternium-7
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Glycerin, Cocamide Mipa, Cetyl Alcohol, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coconut Acid, Polyester-37, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Silk, Sunflower Seed Oil Glycerides, Sericin, Disunfloweroylethyl Dimonium Chloride, Lauryl Lactyl Lactate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-7, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Apium Graveolens Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Sodium Chloride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Apium Graveolens Seed Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citric Acid, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric 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 AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateSodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate is a cleansing ingredient. It is a surfactant, meaning it helps gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants. This helps them be rinsed away easily.
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
