What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAlthaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf/Stem Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Ethylene Brassylate
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingLavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Linalool
Perfuming
Linalyl Acetate
Masking
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Masking
Menthol
Masking
Octanal
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phoenix Dactylifera Fruit Extract
EmollientSalix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
CleansingTetrasodium EDTA
Water, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Coco-Glucoside, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf/Stem Oil, Disodium EDTA, Ethylene Brassylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Oleate, Hexylene Glycol, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Linalool, Linalyl Acetate, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Menthol, Octanal, Phenoxyethanol, Phoenix Dactylifera Fruit Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Tetrasodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-8 Glyceryl Isostearate
Emollient
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethylhexanoin
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Glycerin, PEG-8 Glyceryl Isostearate, Coco-Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Panthenol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Disodium EDTA, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Sodium Citrate
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 GlycolCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHexylene 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 GlycolSodium Cocoyl Glutamate is a gentle cleanser and surfactant. It is the sodium salt of the Cocoyl Glutamic Acid and comes from coconut oil. As a surfactant, it helps lift dirt and oil to be washed away.
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate also has an emolliating effect and can help leave the skin feeling soft.
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
