What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Husk Powder
Abrasive
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder
Abrasive
Viola Odorata Leaf Extract
MaskingPassiflora Incarnata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Junos Fruit Oil
Masking
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Copper PCA
HumectantCitrus Reticulata Peel Oil
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Cholate
Skin ConditioningWater, Olea Europaea Husk Powder, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Viola Odorata Leaf Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Oil, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Copper PCA, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Cholate
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitrus Tangerina Peel Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Collagen Amino Acids
Moisturising
Citrus Grandis Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Lonicera Japonica Callus Extract
Skin ProtectingSalix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingWater, Decyl Glucoside, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Carbomer, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Collagen Amino Acids, Citrus Grandis Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Lonicera Japonica Callus Extract, Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerDecyl 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
