What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantCitric Acid
Buffering
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Taurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Polyquaternium-7
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Citric Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Taurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Lauric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Benzoate, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium EDTA
ChelatingDivinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
Polyquaternium-7
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
C12-13 Pareth-23
CleansingC12-13 Pareth-3
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Water, Potassium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Lauric Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Polyquaternium-7, Polysorbate 20, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Maltodextrin, C12-13 Pareth-23, C12-13 Pareth-3, Sodium Benzoate, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Decyl 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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source. Even though "fungal acne" has the word "acne" in it, they are completely different. Regular acne is driven by a bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes, clogged pores, and excess oil. Fungal acne isn't really acne; it's caused by an overgrowth of a yeast called Malassezia that already lives on everyone's skin. Because one is bacterial and the other is fungal, they respond to different ingredients.
Learn more about Lauric AcidPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPolyquaternium-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.
Sodium 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.
This ingredient does have a comedogenic rating of 2-3, but this doesn't mean a formula with this ingredient will clog pores.
Human testing has proved that any finished product with this ingredient won't automatically make you break out; it really comes down to concentration, formula, and your skin.
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
