What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingGlycereth-7
HumectantPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycereth-7, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Niacinamide, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Xanthan Gum, Cocamide Mea, Glycol Stearate, DMDM Hydantoin, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tromethamine
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Tromethamine, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Polysorbate 20
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene 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 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 BetaineDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is below the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
