What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Acrylates Copolymer
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingArginine
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Spirulina Platensis Powder
Skin ProtectingDisodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Gelidium Cartilagineum Extract
Skin ProtectingUndaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningHizikia Fusiforme Extract
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Arginine, Parfum, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Panthenol, Spirulina Platensis Powder, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Gelidium Cartilagineum Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Hizikia Fusiforme Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Caprae Lac
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningSodium Glycolate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Emulsifying
Betula Alba Bark Extract
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Carbonate
BufferingIron Oxides
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantDextrin
AbsorbentClitoria Ternatea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propanediol, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Acrylates Copolymer, Decyl Glucoside, Caprae Lac, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Lysine, Sodium Glycolate, Sodium Benzoate, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Carbonate, Iron Oxides, CI 77492, Dextrin, Clitoria Ternatea Flower Extract, Silica
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 Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.
After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.
It is also used to make a product more thick.
Learn more about Acrylates CopolymerCaprylyl 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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinChances 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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
