What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantMethyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether
SolventSodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingCoco-Betaine
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Benzyl Glycol
SolventAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Lauryl Sulfate
CleansingDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Juice
Skin ConditioningBeta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Juice
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantHouttuynia Cordata Powder
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Gluconolactone
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingSalicylic Acid
MaskingOenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantPinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingWater, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycerin, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Sodium Chloride, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Coco-Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Benzyl Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Juice, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Juice, Butylene Glycol, Houttuynia Cordata Powder, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Gluconolactone, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, CI 15985, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingPolyglyceryl-6 Caprylate
EmulsifyingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentPPG-7
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientSaponins
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingGlutamic Acid
HumectantTetrasodium EDTA
Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTremella Fuciformis Extract
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Ceramide NP
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Coco-Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Maltodextrin, PPG-7, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Parfum, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Saponins, Ethylhexylglycerin, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol
Reviews
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.
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 preservatives
Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.
After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.
It is also used to make a product more thick.
Learn more about Acrylates CopolymerButylene 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.
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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidChances 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 ChlorideWater. 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