What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPropylene Glycol Laurate
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-67
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Sodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Fructan
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Glycerin, Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Lauryl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-67, Betaine, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Saccharide Isomerate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Panthenol, Fructan, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Sodium Citrate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Glycolipids, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Glycine, Glutamic Acid
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Avena Sativa Seed Water
Solvent
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal
Abrasive
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Kaolin
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hectorite
AbsorbentEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Cellulose
Absorbent
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Zea Mays Germ Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Behenate/Eicosadioate
EmulsifyingPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Phytate
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCitric Acid
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Starch
AbsorbentAvena Sativa Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Triticum Aestivum Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Max Polypeptide
Skin Conditioning
Tripropylene Glycol
Antioxidant
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventSodium Dna
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Avena Sativa Seed Water, Water, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Zea Mays Starch, Kaolin, Sodium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Hectorite, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol Denat., Cellulose, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Zea Mays Germ Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Polyglyceryl-10 Behenate/Eicosadioate, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Squalane, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Dipropylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa Starch, Avena Sativa Peptide, Triticum Aestivum Peptide, Glycine Max Polypeptide, Tripropylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Sodium Dna, Beta-Glucan, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Reviews
Alternatives
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
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.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate is a modified starch used to help thicken a product.
It is also used in foods.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolChances 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 ChlorideSodium Cocoyl Glycinate is a cleansing agent. It can be naturally derived or synthetically-created.
As a surfactant, it helps clean your skin by gathering dirt, oil, and other pollutants to be rinsed away more easily.
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate is the sodium salt from the lauric acid of glutamic acid.
It is a surfactant and helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants from your skin so they may be washed away easily.
Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
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
