What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingLauryl Betaine
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingChamaecyparis Obtusa Water
MaskingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
SurfactantCocamide Mipa
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingDipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Polyquaternium-22
Hydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantMenthol
MaskingHexadecene
SolventTetradecene
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantMalt Extract
Skin ProtectingPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientArginine
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantBerberis Vulgaris Root Extract
AntimicrobialFragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Chinense Fruit Extract
AntioxidantMorus Nigra Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Lauryl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Decyl Glucoside, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Cocamide Mipa, Parfum, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-22, Hydroxyacetophenone, Menthol, Hexadecene, Tetradecene, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Malt Extract, Phospholipids, Glycine Soja Oil, Arginine, Glycerin, Berberis Vulgaris Root Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Morus Nigra Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingCocamide Mipa
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingAcrylates Copolymer
Decyl Glucoside
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingPropanediol
SolventGlycol Distearate
EmollientPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-7
Silicone Quaternium-8
Glycerin
HumectantMusa Sapientum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Trideceth-10
CleansingSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Limon Peel Extract
EmollientPassiflora Edulis Seed Oil
EmollientTriticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Oil
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingMalic Acid
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeTetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
MaskingHexamethylindanopyran
MaskingCoumarin
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide Mipa, Parfum, Acrylates Copolymer, Decyl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Propanediol, Glycol Distearate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Silicone Quaternium-8, Glycerin, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Trideceth-10, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, Hexamethylindanopyran, Coumarin, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Citric 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 AcidWe don't have a description for Cocamide Mipa yet.
Coco-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-GlucosideDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 ParfumSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a surfactant that helps water and oil mix so that dirt, sweat, sebum, and sunscreen can rinse away easily. It's not technically a sulfate, but behaves similarly in formulas.
What it does:
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a strong cleansing surfactant and is much stronger than many mild cleansers. Because it works deeply, it can disrupt the skin's barrier. This can lead to dryness or irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Compared to gentler surfactants, it's effective but more likely to dry or irritate if not balanced with soothing ingredients.
CIR considers sodium α-olefin sulfonates (including C14-16) to be safe for use in rinse-off products when properly formulated. It is poorly absorbed through normal skin but absorption increases if the skin barrier is already damaged.
Learn more about Sodium C14-16 Olefin SulfonateWater. 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