What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningMentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Mentha Piperita Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Sorbic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-7 Olivate
EmulsifyingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
ChelatingHydrolyzed Oat Flour
Skin ConditioningMentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Yucca Schidigera Leaf/Root/Stem Extract
CleansingUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-7 Olivate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Yucca Schidigera Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineWe don't have a description for Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract yet.
This ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChlorideLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimonenePhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolWe don't have a description for Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract yet.
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
