What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Masking
Osbeckia Chinensis Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Archangelica Root Extract
Masking
Convallaria Majalis Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Coco-Glucoside, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide NP, Butylene Glycol, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Osbeckia Chinensis Extract, Angelica Archangelica Root Extract, Convallaria Majalis Extract, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingCocamide Mipa
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol Laurate
Skin ConditioningSalicylic Acid
Masking
Hexadecene
SolventTetradecene
EmollientPolyquaternium-10
Citric Acid
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Lauryl Betaine, Cocamide Mipa, Sodium Chloride, Lactobacillus, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Salicylic Acid, Hexadecene, Tetradecene, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Gluconolactone, Panthenol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Ceramide EOP, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCitric 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 AcidDisodium 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 GlycerinChances 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
