What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingCoco-Betaine
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
CleansingBambusa Vulgaris Water
Skin ConditioningSaponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
EmulsifyingCoconut Acid
CleansingChamaecyparis Obtusa Oil
MaskingCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingSodium Isethionate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Decyl Glucoside, Bambusa Vulgaris Water, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Chloride, Lactobacillus Ferment, Polyquaternium-10, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Coconut Acid, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Sodium Isethionate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantDecyl Glucoside
CleansingLauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Arginine
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
MaskingCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningPvp
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningFullerenes
AntimicrobialCitrus Nobilis Peel Oil
MaskingOcimum Basilicum Oil
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingWater, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Arginine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dipropylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Pvp, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Fullerenes, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, Limonene
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit OilChances 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 ChlorideSodium 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 IsethionateWater. 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