What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Laureth-7 Citrate
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXylitol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Helichrysum Italicum Extract
AntiseborrhoeicTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Magnesium Chloride
Manganese Chloride
Skin ConditioningFerric Chloride
AstringentCalcium Chloride
AstringentCupric Chloride
Skin ConditioningZinc Chloride
AntimicrobialWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Laureth-7 Citrate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Decyl Glucoside, Dicaprylyl Ether, Sodium Chloride, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Betaine, Sodium Hydroxide, Xylitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Coconut Acid, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Benzoic Acid, Helichrysum Italicum Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Magnesium Chloride, Manganese Chloride, Ferric Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Cupric Chloride, Zinc Chloride
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sorbitol
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPPG-7-Buteth-4
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Trisodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. Itβs known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 HydroxideWater. 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
