What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-30 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Capryl/Capramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-32
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Water, Propylene Glycol, PEG-30 Glyceryl Cocoate, Capryl/Capramidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-32, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid, Propanediol, Papain, Glycolic Acid, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
PPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingPEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-53
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Chloride, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Trideceth-6, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Coconut Acid, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-53, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Salicylic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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 GlycolChances 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 ChlorideSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
