What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Polyquaternium-7
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate
Glycerin
Humectant
Amodimethicone
Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Maleic Acid
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Tyrosine
MaskingCysteine
Antioxidant
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
Masking
Histidine
Humectant
Lysine
Skin ConditioningMethionine
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Leucine
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingThreonine
Glycine
Buffering
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Tryptophan
MaskingC12-13 Alketh-23
CleansingC12-13 Alketh-3
EmulsifyingPPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingSodium Isethionate
CleansingPolyquaternium-10
C11-15 Pareth-7
EmulsifyingLaureth-9
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-3 Laurate
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polyquaternium-7, Propylene Glycol, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Glycerin, Amodimethicone, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Glycol Distearate, Maleic Acid, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Panthenol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Alanine, Arginine, Proline, Tyrosine, Cysteine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Histidine, Lysine, Methionine, Glutamic Acid, Leucine, Valine, Threonine, Glycine, Aspartic Acid, Tryptophan, C12-13 Alketh-23, C12-13 Alketh-3, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Sodium Isethionate, Polyquaternium-10, C11-15 Pareth-7, Laureth-9, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide AP, Trideceth-12, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Creatine
Skin ConditioningZinc PCA
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Oxidized Starch Pg-Trimonium Chloride
HumectantGinkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Menthol
Masking
Hexyl Nicotinate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Creatine, Zinc PCA, Caffeine, Hydroxypropyl Oxidized Starch Pg-Trimonium Chloride, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Piroctone Olamine, Menthol, Hexyl Nicotinate, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Citric Acid, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinPEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate isn't fungal acne safe.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
