What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Inulin, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Saccharide Isomerate, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Cellulose
Absorbent
Fructose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Cellulose Gum, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Inulin, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Cellulose, Fructose, Glucose, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCocamidopropyl 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 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 GlycerinInulin is a polysaccharide (carbohydrate) with prebiotic and antioxidant properties.
The majority of inulin is extracted from chicory, but can also be obtained from other plants such as garlic, onion, asparagus, and sugarcane.
Studies show inulin may help with controlling your skin's natural microbiota when applied topically.
The antioxidant potential of inulin varies depending on the source.
Learn more about InulinPhenoxyethanol 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.
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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
