What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingLauryl Betaine
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Lauryl Betaine, Propanediol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Parfum, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
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
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
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 AcidParfum 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 ParfumPotassium 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.
Chances 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 ChlorideUndaria Pinnatifida Extract comes from a kelp native to the northern Pacific Ocean. It is more commonly known as "wakame".
This kelp contains fatty acids, sodium, calcium, iodine, thiamine, and niacin. Studies show a polysaccharide known as fucoidan exhibits strong antioxidant activities. Fucoidan can be found in the cell walls of many species of brown seaweed.
Wakame prefers cold and temperate oceans. It is used in Japanese and Korean cuisine (yummy!).
Learn more about Undaria Pinnatifida ExtractWater. 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
