What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTea-Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PPG-2 Cocamide
Surfactant
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Acetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Glutamic Acid
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hydroxyproline
EmollientAlanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen
Cleansing
Aminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Citrulline
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Threonine
Valine
MaskingHistidine
Humectant
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Phenylalanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Comb Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine Hcl
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingPCA
Humectant
PEG-50 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Isostearate
Emulsifying
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Methyltaurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate
Cleansing
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantSqualane
Emollient
Polyquaternium-10
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingTea-Lauroyl Methyl Beta-Alaninate
SurfactantSodium Lactate
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Tea-Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PPG-2 Cocamide, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Aspartic Acid, Acetyl Glutamine, Acetyl Glutamic Acid, Acetyl Hydroxyproline, Alanine, Arginine, Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Isoleucine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Citrulline, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Histidine, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Phenylalanine, Proline, Comb Extract, Glycine Hcl, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, PCA, PEG-50 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Isostearate, Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Methyltaurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Squalane, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Tea-Lauroyl Methyl Beta-Alaninate, Sodium Lactate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cocamide Methyl Mea
Foam Boosting
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingPPG-2 Cocamide
Surfactant
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Polyquaternium-61
Skin ConditioningSodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantSodium PCA
Humectant
Polyquaternium-10
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cocamide Methyl Mea, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, PPG-2 Cocamide, Ceramide Ng, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycine, Polyquaternium-61, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Sodium PCA, Polyquaternium-10, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid
Reviews
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 GlycolCitric 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.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
Learn more about Citric AcidCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if 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.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
Polyquaternium-10 is an ammonium salt of hydroxyethylcellulose. It is a white and granular powder used as a film-former and anti-static agent.
This ingredient is commonly found in hair conditioning products. According to a manufacturer, its positive charge makes it great for absorbing hair proteins. The manufacturer also states this ingredient helps with curl retention.
For haircare friends: this ingredient is not a silicone.
Learn more about Polyquaternium-10We don't have a description for PPG-2 Cocamide yet.
We don't have a description for Sodium Cocoamphoacetate yet.
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine (aka DLGL) is an amino-acid based surfactant. Because it has two fatty tails and two water-loving ends, it's really great at mixing oils and water into stable textures.
It is also a humectant; like hyaluronic acid, it can draw moisture to your skin.
DLGL has been studied as a skin delivery helper. In lab skin models, it increased accumulation/penetration of hydrophilic actives (like vitamin C).
An Australian NICNAS report states DLGL to be non-irritating to skin at less than 10% and non-irritating to eyes at less than 1%. There's no evidence of skin sensitization in animal tests, but be sure to patch test if you are sensitive to surfactants.
Learn more about Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide LysineSodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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
