What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingPotassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingLimonene
Perfuming
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningBacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Raspberry Ketone
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Folic Acid
Skin ConditioningPantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningPyridoxine
Skin ConditioningThiamine Hcl
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Potassium Cocoate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tromethamine, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Limonene, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Propanediol, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Raspberry Ketone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Niacinamide, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine, Thiamine Hcl, Cyanocobalamin, Riboflavin
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Laureth Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Tromethamine
BufferingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Water, Potassium Laureth Phosphate, Glycerin, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Tromethamine, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Glutamic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Butylene Glycol, Madecassoside
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/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium 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 GlycerinLauryl Hydroxysultaine is a mild surfactant or cleansing ingredient that helps lift away dirt/oil, boost foam, and thicken the formula. It plays nicely with other surfactants and stays stable across a wide pH range.
Chances 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 ChlorideTromethamine helps balance the pH and improve the texture of a product. It is synthetically created.
As an emulsifier, Tromethamine prevents oil and water ingredients from separating. This helps stabilize the product and elongate a product's shelf life. Tromethamine also makes a product thicker.
Tromethamine helps balance the pH level of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Oral Tromethanmine is an anti-inflammatory drug but plays the role of masking, adding fragrance, and/or balancing pH in skincare.
1,3-Propanediol, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
