What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Hydrated Silica
AbrasiveDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolyglycerin-3
HumectantBacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningMalt Extract
Skin ProtectingOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAmaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Oil
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingLauryl Betaine
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingBetaine
HumectantLactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningGlycerin, Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Hydrated Silica, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglycerin-3, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Malt Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lauryl Betaine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Betaine, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Allantoin, Hexylene Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Maltodextrin, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingSorbitol
HumectantSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentCucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVigna Angularis Seed Extract
Skin ProtectingLauryl Betaine
CleansingOryza Sativa Powder
Butylene Glycol
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyquaternium-22
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sorbitol, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Oryza Sativa Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract, Vigna Angularis Seed Extract, Lauryl Betaine, Oryza Sativa Powder, Butylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-22, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate is a surfactant and helps cleanse skin. It is created from the fatty acids of coconut oil.
Surfactants help rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants easily from skin. It has a faint fruit-like scent.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneLauryl Betaine is a cleansing ingredient. You'll most likely see it in face washes, body washes, and shampoos. It's a type of surfactant that helps water mix with oil so dirt, sweat, and sunscreen can rinse off easily.
Chemically, lauryl betaine is an amphoteric surfactant so it carries both a positive and negative charge. This helps it create a creamy foam while being less harsh than stronger detergent-type cleansers.
According to CIR, this ingredient is generally considered safe when used in cosmetics. However, like all surfactants, it can be irritating when used in high amounts of in formulas that aren't well balanced.
Learn more about Lauryl BetaineOryza Sativa Extract comes from the rice grain, Oryza sativa. Rice extract has wound healing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating properties.
Rice grains contain numerous antioxidants which may help with anti-aging, such as vitamin E. Antioxidants help stabilize free-radical molecules. Unstable free-radical molecules may damage your skin cells and accelerate signs of aging.
A study from 2002 found rice to help increase the rate of wound healing. The same study found an improvement of skin barrier function in the patients after taking rice baths.
Numerous in-vitro studies have found rice water to help decrease sun damage by increasing collagen production and inhibiting the process of tyrosinase.
Long story short- tyrosinase is an enzyme that controls melanin production. Our bodies start producing melanin (AKA tanning) when exposed to UV radiation to protect against damage. Rice water is found to partially block this process.
Though more research is needed on rice's ability to help with UV protection, recent studies seem promising.
Wondering why rice is hydrating? The protein in rice have emollient properties. Emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in, keeping your skin moisturized.
Some rice extract may have mildly-exfoliating properties. These are mainly limited to Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran and Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Powder.
This rice was first cultivated in China over 10,000 years ago. Many cultures throughout Asia have used rice water on skin and hair for centuries.
Learn more about Oryza Sativa ExtractChances 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 Cocoyl Glycinate is a cleansing agent. It can be naturally derived or synthetically-created.
As a surfactant, it helps clean your skin by gathering dirt, oil, and other pollutants to be rinsed away more easily.
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate is the sodium salt from the lauric acid of glutamic acid.
It is a surfactant and helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants from your skin so they may be washed away easily.
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 Water