What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycol Stearate
EmollientPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningPEG-150 Distearate
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
HumectantCucumis Sativus Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingTrideceth-9 Pg-Amodimethicone
Skin ConditioningBenzophenone-4
UV AbsorberPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingBenzoic Acid
MaskingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingParfum
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Stearate, PEG-12 Dimethicone, PEG-150 Distearate, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Glycerin, Sodium Levulinate, Polyquaternium-10, Trideceth-12, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Trideceth-9 Pg-Amodimethicone, Benzophenone-4, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citric Acid, Parfum, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPotassium Lactate
BufferingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingGlycol Distearate
EmollientParfum
MaskingDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingCitric Acid
BufferingTriethylene Glycol
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantPolyquaternium-7
Linalool
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Cera
EmollientPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeMethylchloroisothiazolinone
PreservativeMethylisothiazolinone
PreservativeMagnesium Chloride
Magnesium Nitrate
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeSorbic Acid
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Lactate, Coco-Glucoside, Glycol Distearate, Parfum, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Citric Acid, Triethylene Glycol, Glycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Oleate, Propylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Linalool, Geraniol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Cera, Potassium Sorbate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Magnesium Nitrate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin
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Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidBenzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCitric 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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateWater. 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