What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSorbitol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingPEG-8
HumectantHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPotassium Laurate
EmulsifyingPotassium Myristate
EmulsifyingPEG-32
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantMethylparaben
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTriethanolamine
BufferingParfum
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Limonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, PEG-8, Hexylene Glycol, Potassium Laurate, Potassium Myristate, PEG-32, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Limonene, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Salicylate, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingCoco-Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantAcrylates Copolymer
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingPropylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingAloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Coco-Betaine, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimonenePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium 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.
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