What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocamide Mipa
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocamide Mipa, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Cocamide Mipa
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-7
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 60730
Cosmetic ColorantCitronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Jojoba Esters, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamide Mipa, Polyquaternium-7, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Polysorbate 20, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Disodium EDTA, Benzophenone-4, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Propylene Glycol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 60730, Citronellol, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
We don't have a description for Cocamide Mipa yet.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinPersea Gratissima Oil is also known as avocado oil.
Avocado Oil has antioxidant properties. It is mostly made up of the glycerides of fatty acids. About 67% of these fatty acids is made up of oleic acid. Palmitic acid and linoleic acid are also present.
These fatty acids help hydrate and soften the skin. It may increase collagen content in the skin. Collagen helps keep your skin plump and firm. This ingredient helps reduce inflammation and has not shown to clog pores.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe due to its high fatty acid content.
Avocados also have B vitamins, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, and potassium.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilPhenoxyethanol 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.
Rosehip Oil is a non-fragrant plant oil. Rosehips are a fruit from a rose bush and are edible. This oil has skin conditioning and hydrating properties.
Rosehip contains Vitamin C, Vitamin E, fatty acids and linolenic acids. These nourish your skin barrier. Having hydrated skin may help reduce the appearance of fine-lines and wrinkles.
Another great component of Rosehip Oil is Vitamin A, or retinol. Vitamin A encourages your skin to create more collagen.
Rosehip oil may help with reducing pigmentation. The lycopene and beta-carotene have skin-lightening properties. However, more studies are needed to confirm this.
Learn more about Rosa Canina Fruit OilJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilSodium 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 BenzoateSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a surfactant that helps water and oil mix so that dirt, sweat, sebum, and sunscreen can rinse away easily. It's not technically a sulfate, but behaves similarly in formulas.
What it does:
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a strong cleansing surfactant and is much stronger than many mild cleansers. Because it works deeply, it can disrupt the skin's barrier. This can lead to dryness or irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Compared to gentler surfactants, it's effective but more likely to dry or irritate if not balanced with soothing ingredients.
CIR considers sodium α-olefin sulfonates (including C14-16) to be safe for use in rinse-off products when properly formulated. It is poorly absorbed through normal skin but absorption increases if the skin barrier is already damaged.
Learn more about Sodium C14-16 Olefin SulfonateSodium 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
