What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingSodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauryl Glycol Carboxylate
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tea-Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Glycol Carboxylate, Citric Acid, Arginine, Panthenol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Allantoin, Tea-Cocoyl Glutamate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Saccharide Isomerate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Citrate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningAcrylates Copolymer
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium PCA, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, DMDM Hydantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.
After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.
It is also used to make a product more thick.
Learn more about Acrylates CopolymerCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineDisodium 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 EthylhexylglycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateChances 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 Lauroyl Sarcosinate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier. It is a surfactant derived from sarcosine, and a common source is coconut oil.
As a surfactant, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate helps lift dirts, oil, and other molecules to be washed away. In leave-on products, this ingredient is used as an emulsifier. Emulsifier help prevent ingredients such as oils and waters from separating.
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate is also commonly found as a foaming agent in shampoo, toothpaste, and shaving foam. It is amphiphilic, meaning it loves both water and fats.
Learn more about Sodium Lauroyl SarcosinateWater. 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
