What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningVp/Va Copolymer
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Algin
MaskingCarrageenan
Chitosan
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract
Skin ConditioningSalvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearamidoethyldiethonium Succinoyl Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
CleansingHydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Hypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin Protecting
Sargassum Filipendula Extract
Skin Protecting
Gelidiella Acerosa Extract
Skin Protecting
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Polyquaternium-11
PPG-12-PEG-65 Lanolin Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingC11-15 Pareth-7
EmulsifyingC12-16 Pareth-9
EmulsifyingTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone
Sorbitol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Alcohol Denat., Water, Vp/Va Copolymer, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum, Polysorbate 20, Algin, Carrageenan, Chitosan, Coco-Glucoside, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Cetearamidoethyldiethonium Succinoyl Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Sargassum Filipendula Extract, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Cetrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-11, PPG-12-PEG-65 Lanolin Oil, Xanthan Gum, C11-15 Pareth-7, C12-16 Pareth-9, Trideceth-12, Glycerin, Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone, Sorbitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Water
Skin ConditioningVp/Va Copolymer
Isobutane
Propane
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cetearamidoethyldiethonium Succinoyl Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
CleansingHypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin Protecting
Glycerin
Humectant
Sargassum Filipendula Extract
Skin Protecting
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Algin
MaskingCarrageenan
Chitosan
Gelidiella Acerosa Extract
Skin Protecting
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Oleth-20
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyquaternium-4
Parfum
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Laureth-4
Emulsifying
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cetrimonium Bromide
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMyristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Silicone Quaternium-3
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Polyurethane-14
Sorbitol
Humectant
Amp-Acrylates Copolymer
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Water, Vp/Va Copolymer, Isobutane, Propane, Stearyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetearamidoethyldiethonium Succinoyl Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Glycerin, Sargassum Filipendula Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Coco-Glucoside, Tocopherol, Algin, Carrageenan, Chitosan, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Oleth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-4, Parfum, Cetyl Alcohol, Laureth-4, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cetrimonium Bromide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Myristyl Alcohol, Silicone Quaternium-3, Arachidyl Alcohol, Trideceth-12, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Benzoate, Polyurethane-14, Sorbitol, Amp-Acrylates Copolymer, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sorbitan Oleate, Xanthan Gum, Aminomethyl Propanol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Algin is the sodium salt of alginic acid, a sugar-based polymer pulled out of brown seaweed.
In cosmetics, it's a workhorse thickener, binder, and film former rather than an active; it's mostly there for texture and slip.
Industry survey data collected by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review put its maximum reported use at 50% in paste masks and mud packs with reported use going all the way down to 0.001% in aerosol products. Most formulas sit at the low end since a little goes a long way as a thickener.
Allergy-wise, this ingredient is about as low-risk as it gets topically:
The "algae causes acne" idea comes from three places that got tangled together:
None of that transfers to a purified polysaccharide like algin. Clogged pores are a lipid problem where an ingredient has to get into the follicle and mix with sebum to form a comedone. Algin is a big, water-loving sugar chain that does neither; it gels and then sits on the surface as a film until it's rinsed off.
Learn more about AlginCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCarrageenan is a gel-forming sugar chain pulled out of red seaweed. In skincare, it's a texture ingredient rather than an active that:
Formulators typically use it around 0.1-2% but go up to 5% in thick gel masks or toothpaste-style products.
It's a very large molecule that doesn't meaningfully get through intact skin and the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it's safe at current use levels.
True allergy is rare and there are only two published cases from internal/mucosal exposure rather than anything topical. Most of the scary internet content about Carrageenan is actually about poligeenan (also called "degraded carrageenan").
Poligeenan is a deliberately acid-broken down version that isn't food or cosmetic grade.
Learn more about CarrageenanWe don't have a description for Cetearamidoethyldiethonium Succinoyl Hydrolyzed Pea Protein yet.
We don't have a description for Chitosan yet.
Coco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideGelidiella Acerosa Extract can be bad for acne prone skin.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHypnea Musciformis Extract comes from the red algae called Hypnea musciformis. Hypnea Musciformis is commonly found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
The cell walls of Hypnea Musciformis is rich in carrageenan.
Hypnea Musciformis Extract contains vitamins A, C, and E. It also has calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and iron.
Learn more about Hypnea Musciformis ExtractParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumSargassum Filipendula Extract can be bad for acne prone skin.
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a hydrating and moisturizing agent created from the reduction process of glucose.
Most sorbitol is usually made from potato starch. It is also found in fruits such as apples and pears.
As a humectant, Sorbitol helps draw water to the skin. This helps keep the skin hydrated. Sorbitol also helps create a thicker texture in products. You might find sorbitol in your toothpaste and other gels.
It is a non-irritating ingredient that is great for those with dry skin.
Sorbitol is a prebiotic. It helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria on your skin. The bacteria on your skin form a microbiome. This microbiome helps protect your skin from infection and harmful bacteria.
Learn more about SorbitolWe don't have a description for Trideceth-12 yet.
VP/VA Copolymer is a synthetic polymer made by joining two smaller molecules (vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate) into a larger chain.
It is mainly used as a film-former and fixing agent. When a product dries, it creates a thin and flexible layer on the skin, hair, or nails. This film helps hold hairstyles into place, adds a smooth feel to skin, and traps moisture to reduce dryness.
Irritation is rare at normal concentrations and it doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
Learn more about Vp/Va CopolymerWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
