What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantMyristic Acid
CleansingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-32
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Lauric Acid
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPolyquaternium-7
Parfum
MaskingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingMenthol
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Linalool
PerfumingSodium Benzoate
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingAureobasidium Pullulans Ferment
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, PEG-32, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Lauric Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polyquaternium-7, Parfum, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Limonene, Menthol, Disodium EDTA, Linalool, Sodium Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment, Lactic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
CleansingDiglycerin
HumectantPalmitic Acid
EmollientPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantLauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingGlycol Stearate
EmollientLauric Acid
CleansingMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantPEG-32
HumectantPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingParfum
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingTetrasodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-7
Butylene Glycol
HumectantGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
AntioxidantMethylparaben
PreservativeLuffa Cylindrica Stem Extract
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientPropylparaben
PreservativePoria Cocos Sclerotium Extract
AstringentGlycosaminoglycans
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePaeonia Albiflora Flower Extract
TonicSoluble Collagen
HumectantEthylparaben
PreservativeHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingWater, Myristic Acid, Diglycerin, Palmitic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycol Stearate, Lauric Acid, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-32, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Stearic Acid, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-7, Butylene Glycol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Methylparaben, Luffa Cylindrica Stem Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Propylparaben, Poria Cocos Sclerotium Extract, Glycosaminoglycans, Phenoxyethanol, Paeonia Albiflora Flower Extract, Soluble Collagen, Ethylparaben, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Geraniol, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidParfum 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 ParfumPEG-32 is a synthetic and water-soluble polymer with 32 repeating units. It has humectant, solvent, and emulsifying properties.
As a solvent and emulsifier, it helps dissolve and blend ingredients. It is also able to attract water as a humectant to help hydrate skin. According to a manufacturer, this ingredient is non-greasy, gentle, and mildly scented.
Japanese manufacturers will sometimes call this ingredient PEG 1540.
Learn more about PEG-32Polyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.
According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideChances 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 ChlorideThis gentle cleansing and foaming ingredient is known for leaving a smooth feeling in skin and hair. It is made using coconut oil.
According to the manufacturer, it is soluble in water and has resistance to hard water, acid, and alkali.
Due to its coconut base, it may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Sodium Methyl Cocoyl TaurateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
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