What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
PEG-32
HumectantPEG-6
HumectantLaureth-7
EmulsifyingGlucomannan
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey
Maltitol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
PPG-2 Cocamide
Glycerylamidoethyl Methacrylate/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer
HumectantAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Kaolin
Abrasive
Silica
Abrasive
Tanakura Clay
AbsorbentTrilaureth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingBentonite
Absorbent
Polyquaternium-39
Polyquaternium-7
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Charcoal
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Iron Oxides
Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, PEG-32, PEG-6, Laureth-7, Glucomannan, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey, Maltitol, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, PPG-2 Cocamide, Glycerylamidoethyl Methacrylate/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Alcohol, Kaolin, Silica, Tanakura Clay, Trilaureth-4 Phosphate, Bentonite, Polyquaternium-39, Polyquaternium-7, Polysorbate 80, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Charcoal, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Iron Oxides
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Rice Bran Acid
CleansingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Xanthium Strumarium Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGinkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Rhus Semialata Gall Extract
Skin ConditioningAkebia Quinata Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Polyquaternium-7
PEG-100 Stearate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Water, Potassium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Rice Bran Acid, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Xanthium Strumarium Fruit Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Akebia Quinata Extract, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyquaternium-7, PEG-100 Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA
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 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 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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPolyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.
According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate is an amino acid-based surfactant and cleaning agent. This ingredient can be derived from animals or plants. It may also be synthetically created from fatty acids of the coconut and glycine.
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate is a gentle surfactant. Surfactants help gather the dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away. It is a mild cleanser and naturally produces foam.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
