What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Potassium Lactate
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningBenzoic Acid
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Glycerin, Betaine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Oleate, Coco-Glucoside, Decyl Glucoside, Potassium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, P-Anisic Acid, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Gluconate, Benzoic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Bis-(Isostearoyl/Oleoyl Isopropyl) Dimonium Methosulfate
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Glycylglycine
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Lysine
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingBetaine
Humectant
Polyquaternium-7
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citrus Hystrix Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Hystrix Peel Oil
Masking
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Polyquaternium-67
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cocoyl Methyl Glucamide
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Apigenin
Antioxidant
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningBiotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Bis-(Isostearoyl/Oleoyl Isopropyl) Dimonium Methosulfate, Glycine, Glycylglycine, Potassium Cocoate, Lysine, Propanediol, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Betaine, Polyquaternium-7, Decyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citrus Hystrix Peel Extract, Citrus Hystrix Peel Oil, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Polyquaternium-67, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Cocoyl Methyl Glucamide, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex, Sodium Chloride, Maltodextrin, Sorbic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Pentylene Glycol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Phospholipids, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sphingolipids, Sodium Citrate, P-Anisic Acid, Apigenin, Oleanolic Acid, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. Itβs known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about 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 GlucosideGlycerin (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 Glycerinp-anisic acid is an aromatic compound that is naturally found in some plants. It is mainly used as a fragrance ingredient but also has preservative and antimicrobial properties.
The effectiveness of this ingredient as a preservative and antimicrobial depends on the pH (with more acidic being better). This is the reason you'll see this ingredient bundled with other preservatives.
Sodium 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 ChlorideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
