What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Powder
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantRice Bran Acid
CleansingDiglycerin
Humectant
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Betaine
Humectant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingAvena Sativa Kernel Flour 0.5%
Abrasive
Hordeum Vulgare Powder
Abrasive
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Powder
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningSuperoxide Dismutase 0.2%
Antioxidant
Papain 0.11%
Skin Conditioning
Bromelain 0.09%
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Zea Mays Starch, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Powder, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Rice Bran Acid, Diglycerin, Coconut Acid, Maltodextrin, Betaine, Cellulose Gum, Allantoin, Sodium Isethionate, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour 0.5%, Hordeum Vulgare Powder, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Powder, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Superoxide Dismutase 0.2%, Papain 0.11%, Bromelain 0.09%, Water, Sodium Metabisulfite
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantDiglycerin
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningProtease
Exfoliating
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Zea Mays Starch, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Diglycerin, Allantoin, Maltodextrin, Papain, Water, Protease, 1,2-Hexanediol, Gluconolactone, Salicylic Acid, Citric Acid, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Ceramide NP, Madecassoside
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinDiglycerin is a humectant. It is derived from glycerin, which is naturally found in your skin.
As a humectant, it helps draw moisture to the skin from the air.
Maltodextrin is a plant-derived carbohydrate made by breaking down starch (usually from corn, potato, or rice). In cosmetic formulas, it's a multitasking absorbent, emulsion stabilizer, and skin conditioner.
This ingredient is mostly used to stabilize emulsions and improve the powdery, non-greasy feel of products (like dry shampoos).
Safety-wise, this ingredient is pretty solid; it's even recognized as a food additive. Both animal and clinical studies found no adverse effects at the levels used in cosmetics.
Industry data shows this ingredient is used up to 45.7% in spray products and up to 33% in powder products.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPapain is a proteolytic enzyme extracted from unripe papaya fruit. It is a gentle exfoliator that helps remove the dead skin cells from your outermost layer of skin.
Basically, papain works by dissolving the "glue" holding dead skin cells to your skin's surface. This also promotes cell turnover and smooths texture.
Unlike other exfoliants, papain can work without causing significant irritation.
Beyond exfoliation, its proteolytic action also helps soothe irritated skin and supports the healing of minor wounds.
A 2024 in vivo/in vitro study confirmed its potential to suppress skin inflammation and improve transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in atopic dermatitis models.
Just one thing worth noting: there are reports of allergic responses in individuals with a papaya or latex sensitivity. Be sure to patch test if you're in this camp.
Learn more about PapainSodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateSodium Lauroyl Glutamate is an amino-acid based mild surfactant that is used in formulas as a primary or secondary cleansing agent. This means it helps lift away oil, dirt, and makeup.
You'll see this ingredient in facial cleansers, shampoos, and even toothpaste because it foams reasonably well while being much gentler than harsher surfactants like SLS.
A study comparing surfactant mixtures found that Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate caused visibly less disruption to skin lipid structure and less irritation than SLS when tested on human subjects; this correlated with the data from in vivo results as well.
The Tenside, Surfactants, Detergents cosmetics industry journal has also concluded that amino acid based surfactants are generally milder than their corresponding alkyl sulfate counterparts. They also stated glutamates in particular are considered one of the gentler options in the category.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel has reviewed dermal irritation and sensitization data for this ingredient at the highest reported use concentration and concluded it to be safe in present practices.
Typical use concentrations tend to run low (generally less than 10%) though the CIR's review noted the highest reported use concentration was 40% as a raw material blend (and not a diluted finished cosmetic product).
Learn more about Sodium Lauroyl GlutamateWater. 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 WaterZea Mays Starch is starch made from corn. You might know this as cornstarch . It is used to thicken a product. It can replace talc as an absorbent.
The pH of cornstarch is 5.92.
Cornstarch is a common food ingredient used to thicken soups or to make corn syrup.
Learn more about Zea Mays Starch
