What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Illite
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Mel
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Propolis Cera
AntiseborrhoeicBentonite
Absorbent
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzoic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Kaolin, Illite, Glycerin, Mel, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Propolis Cera, Bentonite, Alcohol, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Decyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sorbitol
Humectant
Limonene
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyaminopropyl Biguanide
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Cera Alba, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sorbitol, Limonene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzoic Acid is an organic acid that shows up in cosmetics as a preservative. It helps keep a product from spoiling by holding back the growth of yeast, mold, and some bacteria.
This ingredient also functions as a fragrance ingredient that helps mask the unpleasant scent of other ingredients.
The way it works is worth understanding; benzoic acid works when the formula is acidic. It is able to sneak into a microbe's cell and mess up how it functions to stop it from growing in an acidic product.
However, the acid switches to an inactive form and stops working if a product isn't acidic enough (above ~5 pH). This is why you'll often see it in low pH products or teamed up with other preservatives to cover the gap.
Safety wise, it's one of the better studied preservatives out there.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%.
A large international review found this ingredient had no effects on the human body and had low irritation potential.
Just so you know, real world use is usually much lower than the 5% ceiling (usually 1% of less).
The EU caps it at 2.5% in rinse-off products, 1.7% in oral care, and 0.5% in leave-on products.
One thing worth mentioning (it's nothing to worry about): some people get a little stinging or flushing where they apply it. This isn't a true allergy; it's a temporary and harmless reaction. This is the same kind of mild tingle you might notice from sorbic acid.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.
As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.
It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.
Learn more about Dehydroacetic AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
