What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-14m
Emulsion StabilisingSnail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-7
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGypsophila Paniculata Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHedera Helix Extract
AntimicrobialArnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Artemisia Absinthium Extract
Skin ConditioningAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingGentiana Lutea Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-14m, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Polysorbate 20, Polyquaternium-7, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Gypsophila Paniculata Root Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Hedera Helix Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Artemisia Absinthium Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Betaine
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water
MaskingAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Illicium Verum Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Pyridoxine
Skin ConditioningLinum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Arctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hibiscus Mutabilis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCorchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientLecithin
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Apium Graveolens Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentBrassica Rapa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract
AstringentLysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Acetyl Methionine
Skin Conditioning
Theanine
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Papain
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Lauric Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethyl Sulfone, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Betaine, Stearic Acid, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Chlorphenesin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Pyridoxine, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Hibiscus Mutabilis Flower Extract, Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Lecithin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Phytosterols, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceramide NP, Propanediol, Apium Graveolens Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Brassica Rapa Leaf Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Lysine Hcl, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Beta-Glucan, Papain
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxidePropylene 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 GlycolStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
