What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningAcrylates Copolymer
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingCoco-Betaine
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingArginine
MaskingTromethamine
BufferingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingHoney Extract
HumectantCoptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPantolactone
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingGlycerin, Water, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Coco-Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Arginine, Tromethamine, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Honey Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Panthenol, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Pantolactone, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
SurfactantGlycerin
HumectantDecyl Glucoside
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Babassuamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingMethyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether
SolventDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingEctoin
Skin ConditioningOxygen
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingPolyester-11
Skin ConditioningMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCholesterol
EmollientBrassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
AntioxidantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningAsiaticoside
AntioxidantMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingSpirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingNymphaea Tetragona Extract
Skin ConditioningGinkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTheanine
EmollientMilk Lipids
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Palmitoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantLysine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
HumectantArginine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingThreonine
Serine
MaskingGlutamic Acid
HumectantProline
Skin ConditioningGlycine
BufferingAlanine
MaskingValine
MaskingMethionine
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningLeucine
Skin ConditioningTyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
MaskingCysteine
AntioxidantSqualane
EmollientPalmitoyl Glycine
CleansingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingWater, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Acrylates Copolymer, Babassuamidopropyl Betaine, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Ectoin, Oxygen, Glycine Soja Protein, Polyester-11, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cholesterol, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Hydrogenated Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Nymphaea Tetragona Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Theanine, Milk Lipids, Glutathione, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Butylene Glycol, Lysine, Histidine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Threonine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Proline, Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Methionine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Cysteine, Squalane, Palmitoyl Glycine, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
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 CopolymerArginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineButylene 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.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolParfum 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 ParfumChances 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 ChlorideSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate is a gentle, coconut-derived cleansing surfactant. It's most commonly found in "sulfate-free" cleansers.
As a taurate, it belongs to a class of anionic surfactants prized for being efficient at cleansing without harshness, good performance in hard water, stability across a wide pH range, and easily biodegradable.
It is able to lift away oil and grime and make a nice lather without stripping your skin, so it's a good pick for sensitive skin.
Safety-wise, it has a good record. The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics and concentrations go up to 11% in leave-on products or 13% in rinse-off products.
Despite being derived from coconut oil, this ingredient is fungal acne safe. It's a water-soluble surfactant with no fatty oils or esters left intact on skin for the Malassezia yeast to feed.
Learn more about Sodium Methyl Cocoyl TaurateWater. 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