What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Taurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate
CleansingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantPolyquaternium-7
Stearic Acid
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Sodium Taurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Polyquaternium-7, Stearic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Lauryl Sulfate
CleansingSekken Soji
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingGlycol Distearate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantDecyl Glucoside
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Laureth Phosphate
EmulsifyingDistearyl Phthalic Acid Amide
EmollientCocamide Mea
EmulsifyingAcrylates Copolymer
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingO-Cymen-5-Ol
AntimicrobialDisodium EDTA
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingSerine
MaskingHistidine
HumectantAspartic Acid
MaskingThreonine
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSalicylic Acid
MaskingHyaluronic Acid
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantQuaternium-73
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSoy Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sekken Soji, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Butylene Glycol, Decyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Laureth Phosphate, Distearyl Phthalic Acid Amide, Cocamide Mea, Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Parfum, Glycerin, Citric Acid, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Serine, Histidine, Aspartic Acid, Threonine, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Salicylic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Quaternium-73, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Soy Amino Acids, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineDecyl 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 GlucosideDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
Learn more about Sodium Acetylated HyaluronateChances 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.
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