What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLauric Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Cocamide DEA
Emulsifying
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-7
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Sargassum Muticum Extract
Skin ProtectingFucus Serratus Extract
Skin ProtectingGelidiella Acerosa Extract
Skin ProtectingHypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin ProtectingChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Water, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamide DEA, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Disodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sorbitol, Resveratrol, Sargassum Muticum Extract, Fucus Serratus Extract, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
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
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 DistearateMethylparaben 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 MethylparabenPolyquaternium-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.
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate is an amino acid-based surfactant and cleaning agent. This ingredient can be derived from animals or plants. It may also be synthetically created from fatty acids of the coconut and glycine.
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate is a gentle surfactant. Surfactants help gather the dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away. It is a mild cleanser and naturally produces foam.
Propylparaben is a preservative and one of the most widely used members of the paraben family (it's been used in cosmetics for over a century now).
It works by disrupting microbial cell membranes and enzymes, and is a broad-spectrum protector that works exceptionally well against molds, yeasts, and gram-positive bacteria.
You'll likely see it paired with methylparaben to cover the full range (including gram-negative bacteria).
This ingredient is effective at low concentrations (~0.2-0.5%) and stable across a wide pH range (4.5-7.5 pH). It's effectiveness drops off above pH 8 and it can lose potency when combined with non-ionic surfactants like polysorbate 80 due to micellization.
The regulatory bodies have concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics. The EU has capped it at 0.14% and combined parabens are not to exceed 0.8%.
While parabens do cross the stratum corneum, only about 1% remains for absorption into the body. This is because most of it is metabolized within living skin.
Learn more about PropylparabenSodium 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 BenzoateChances 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 ChlorideStearic 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
