What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-32
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentParfum
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract
MaskingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Polycaprolactone
StabilisingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantPropanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
PEG-75
HumectantPolyquaternium-10
Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentVaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Sapindus Mukorossi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentFragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, PEG-32, Potassium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Polycaprolactone, CI 77891, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lactic Acid, PEG-75, Polyquaternium-10, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Papain, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Sapindus Mukorossi Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingLauryl Betaine
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingTrihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-7
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Trihydroxystearin, Glycol Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyquaternium-7, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Allantoin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Panthenol
Reviews
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
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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolSodium 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 BenzoateChances 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 ChlorideWater. 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
