What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
PEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Lauroyl Aspartate
CleansingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-52
PEG-32
HumectantCitric Acid
Buffering
Polyquaternium-7
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Methylparaben
Preservative
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Propylparaben
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingArctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Water, Decyl Glucoside, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, PEG-400, Sodium Lauroyl Aspartate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Polyquaternium-52, PEG-32, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Methylparaben, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Propylparaben, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantTriethylhexanoin
MaskingIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose
EmulsifyingMethylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Triethylhexanoin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Arbutin, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SeMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenWater. 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
