What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Palm Kernelate
CleansingPotassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingMilk Protein Extract
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Arginine
Masking
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Palmitate
EmulsifyingSodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPolyquaternium-43
Polyquaternium-7
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Aroma
Water, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Potassium Cocoate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Milk Protein Extract, Glycol Distearate, Niacinamide, Arginine, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Palmitate, Sodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Polyquaternium-43, Polyquaternium-7, Stearic Acid, Hydroxystearic Acid, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Sodium Benzoate, Aroma
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Terpineol
Masking
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Thymol
AntimicrobialPolyquaternium-7
Disodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Water, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Glycol Distearate, Decyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Parfum, Terpineol, DMDM Hydantoin, Salicylic Acid, Thymol, Polyquaternium-7, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycol Distearate is an emulsifier and emollient that adds a "pearly" appearance to formulations.
That lustrous look you see in many shampoos is due to this ingredient: when cooled, it crystallizes into small platelets that reflect light to give products that rich, shimmering look.
This ingredient is considered safe at present practices of use and concentration and repeated insult patch test with 50% Glycol Distearate on 125 subjects found no evidence of skin irritation, hypersensitivity, or acute toxicity.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.1-10%.
Because it's an ester of stearic acid, it falls into the range that Malassezia likes to metabolize. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePolyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.
According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.
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 GlycolSodium 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 BenzoateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
