What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether
SolventMethyl Perfluorobutyl Ether
SolventMagnesium Silicate
AbsorbentSodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids
Skin Conditioning
Bromelain
Skin Conditioning
PEG/PPG-14/4 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientEthylhexyl Isononanoate
EmollientSodium Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingUndecylenoyl Glycine
CleansingSodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Parfum
Masking
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates Copolymer, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether, Magnesium Silicate, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Bromelain, PEG/PPG-14/4 Dimethicone, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Isononyl Isononanoate, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Sodium Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Capryloyl Glycine, Undecylenoyl Glycine, Sodium Bisulfite, Propylene Glycol, Maltodextrin, Coconut Acid, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Taurine
BufferingSodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Glycine
Buffering
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Bromelain
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Water, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Taurine, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Phenoxyethanol, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Arginine, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Bisabolol, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Coconut Acid, Glycine, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Bromelain, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sodium Citrate, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Maltodextrin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme derived from pineapple stem. It gently exfoliates by by dissolving the "glue" holding dead skin cells to your skin's surface.
By faciliating the removal of dead skin cells from the outermost layer of skin, it helps with enhancing skin firmness, hydration, and texture.
Besides exfoliation, it also has anti-inflammatory properties by blocking the inflammation signaling pathways.
It is considered gentler than traditional AHAs or physical scrubs and is a great option for sensitive skin. At this time, most of the clinical trial data on enzyme exfoliants is still limited and further in vivo research is needed.
Typical concentrations for this ingredient range between 0.1-5%.
Bromelain's use in cosmetic formulations has been limited by its sensitivity to pH and temperature (it maintains best stability at pH 5.0). This means how effective is it in a finished product can vary depending on how well the formula is designed.
Learn more about BromelainCoconut acid is a mixture of fatty acids obtains by hydrolyzing coconut oil and then distilling the fatty acid portion. It works as a cleansing surfactant, emollient, and emulsifier depending on the formulation.
This ingredient is not a single compound but reflects the fatty acid profile of coconut oil itself, which is about 90% saturated.
The dominant fatty acid is lauric acid (44-54%) and then myristic acid (13-19%). There are also small amounts of caprylic, capric, palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids.
Human testing from CIR has shown no indication this ingredient to be a primary irritant, sensitizer, or phototoxic compound. It's COSMOS-approved for natural and organic products.
Due to the fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Research has confirmed Malassezia can use lauric acid as a food source.
Learn more about Coconut AcidHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolMaltodextrin is a plant-derived carbohydrate made by breaking down starch (usually from corn, potato, or rice). In cosmetic formulas, it's a multitasking absorbent, emulsion stabilizer, and skin conditioner.
This ingredient is mostly used to stabilize emulsions and improve the powdery, non-greasy feel of products (like dry shampoos).
Safety-wise, this ingredient is pretty solid; it's even recognized as a food additive. Both animal and clinical studies found no adverse effects at the levels used in cosmetics.
Industry data shows this ingredient is used up to 45.7% in spray products and up to 33% in powder products.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWe don't have a description for Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids yet.
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate is a cleansing agent. It can be naturally derived or synthetically-created.
As a surfactant, it helps clean your skin by gathering dirt, oil, and other pollutants to be rinsed away more easily.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
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
