What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Acetamidoethoxyethanol
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Xylitol
Humectant
Triethylene Glycol
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycerin, Acetamidoethoxyethanol, Gluconolactone, PEG-150 Distearate, Propanediol, Glycol Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Panthenol, Zinc PCA, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Propylene Glycol, Parfum, Xylitol, Triethylene Glycol, Glucose, Sodium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Maltitol
HumectantPropylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-150
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Aspartate
CleansingLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
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.
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate comes from licorice root.
Extracts of licorice have demonstrated to have antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant properties.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Licorice root is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with respiratory issues.
Learn more about Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateGlycerin (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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
