What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf
Perfuming
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Serine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningHexylresorcinol
Antimicrobial
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Threonine
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCapric Acid
Cleansing
PEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Caprylic Acid
CleansingCaproic Acid
Cleansing
Water, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Betaine, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium PCA, Zinc PCA, Sorbitol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Centella Asiatica Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Resveratrol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Serine, Glycine, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Glutamic Acid, Alanine, Arginine, Lysine, Hexylresorcinol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Threonine, Ceramide NP, Proline, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Capric Acid, PEG-400, Ceramide EOP, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Caprylic Acid, Caproic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Diglycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Acetamidoethoxyethanol
Humectant
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Triethylene Glycol
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Diglycerin, Betaine, Acetamidoethoxyethanol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Myristic Acid, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, Triethylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Polyglutamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, O-Cymen-5-Ol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 Glucoside sugar- and lipid-based cleansing agent. It is created from glucose and lauryl alcohol.
This ingredient is a surfactant, making it easier to rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants away.
A British study found lauryl glucoside to cause skin sensitivity for some people. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Other names for this ingredient include "Lauryl Polyglucose", "Lauryl glycoside", and "D-Glucopyranoside".
Learn more about Lauryl GlucosidePEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate is a synthetic, water-soluble surfactant and emulsifier.
It's a "superfatting" agent that helps replenish some of your skin's oils after they're stripped away by other surfactants.
This is why "gentle" and "moisturizing" cleansers feel less stripping than basic ones.
Typical concentrations range from 1-10% and it has a solid safety record. The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe at concentrations up to 10% in leave-on products.
Dermal application tests at 50% also did not produce irritation in two studies.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe and in vitro studies have shown Malassezia can metabolize it.
Learn more about PEG-7 Glyceryl CocoatePhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
