What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingCocamide Mea
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantGlycol Distearate
EmollientParfum
MaskingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientGlycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Keratin
HumectantHydrolyzed Corn Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientDimethiconol
EmollientPolyquaternium-10
PEG-150 Distearate
EmulsifyingDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientDecyl Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMethylchloroisothiazolinone
PreservativeMethylisothiazolinone
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingPolyquaternium-7
Magnesium Chloride
Potassium Sorbate
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingMagnesium Nitrate
Sodium Acetate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
MaskingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialLimonene
PerfumingWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamide Mea, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Glycol Distearate, Parfum, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Glycine Soja Protein, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Panthenol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Polyquaternium-10, PEG-150 Distearate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Decyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Benzoic Acid, Magnesium Nitrate, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Benzoate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Lauryl Sulfate
CleansingAmmonium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodipropionate
CleansingCocamide Mea
EmulsifyingTrideceth-7 Carboxylic Acid
CleansingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientLecithin
EmollientSulfated Castor Oil
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantLauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingGlycol Distearate
EmollientLaureth-10
EmulsifyingPEG-12 Oleate
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPolyquaternium-7
Polyquaternium-10
PPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate
EmulsifyingCetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialSilicone Quaternium-2 Panthenol Succinate
Cetyl Triethylmonium Dimethicone PEG-8 Succinate
Coco-Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
BufferingDMDM Hydantoin
PreservativeMethylchloroisothiazolinone
PreservativeMethylisothiazolinone
PreservativeParfum
MaskingButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingCI 42053
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate, Cocamide Mea, Trideceth-7 Carboxylic Acid, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Lecithin, Sulfated Castor Oil, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycol Distearate, Laureth-10, PEG-12 Oleate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, PPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Silicone Quaternium-2 Panthenol Succinate, Cetyl Triethylmonium Dimethicone PEG-8 Succinate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Parfum, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, CI 42053, CI 19140
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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 AcidThis ingredient is made by combining the fatty acids from coconut oil with monoethanolamine. It is an emulsifier that helps boost foam, thicken texture, and help keep ingredients together in a formula.
Glycerin (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 Oleate is the monoester of glycerin and oleic acid. It is a skin-conditioning emollient that also helps form emulsions.
What makes glyceryl oleate special is its "re-fatting" effect.
When you wash your hair and skin with a surfactant-based cleanser, the surfactants grab onto everything. This includes your skin's natural lipids, or the fats that live in your skin barrier and sebum. Once you rinse these surfactants away, it leaves your skin feeling tight, dry, and clean (in a not-good way).
Re-fatting is essentially putting some of these lipids back. Glyceryl oleate deposits a thin layer of emollient lipids back on the skin or hair surface reduce some of the barrier damage.
Also, glyceryl oleate isn't a foreign molecule to your skin. It's chemically identical to something your skin already produces and manages naturally. This is why it tends to be well-tolerated with low risk of irritation.
Typical use levels range from 0.5-5%.
Glyceryl Oleate has a function of "perfuming" in the CosIng database. This just means that the ingredient has some scent character that can contribute to the product's overall smell.
The scent of this ingredient is described as "waxy".
As an ester of oleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. This is because oleic acid falls into the carbon-chain length that Malassezia can use as a substrate.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleateGlycol 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 DistearateMethylchloroisothiazolinone, or MCI, is a synthetic preservative used to protect against the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi in water-based products.
MCI is commonly combined with methylisothiazolinone (MI) in a 3:1 ratio.
This ingredient is safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-sensitizing and concentrations must not exceed 7.5 ppm in leave-on products / 15 ppm in rinse-off products.
Unfortunately, this ingredient has a well-documented sensitization story. Studies spanning several decades have shown this ingredient + MI to cause skin irritation and allergies.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
This just means this ingredient is most likely non-sensitizing in rinse-off products unless you've been diagnosed with a contact allergy to isothiazolinones.
Learn more about MethylchloroisothiazolinoneMI is a preservative and known skin irritant. In the past, MI was used for its ability to prevent bacteria, yeast, and fungi growth in low doses.
Nowadays, you'll most likely see MI combined with Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI).
Since then, numerous studies have shown this ingredient to cause contact dermatitis, or skin irritation.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
Learn more about MethylisothiazolinoneParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPolyquaternium-10 is an ammonium salt of hydroxyethylcellulose. It is a white and granular powder used as a film-former and anti-static agent.
This ingredient is commonly found in hair conditioning products. According to a manufacturer, its positive charge makes it great for absorbing hair proteins. The manufacturer also states this ingredient helps with curl retention.
For haircare friends: this ingredient is not a silicone.
Learn more about Polyquaternium-10Polyquaternium-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.
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