What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Solanum Lycopersicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Adansonia Digitata Oil
Emollient
Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
Dextran
Polyquaternium-7
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Vanillyl Butyl Ether
MaskingPolyquaternium-10
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Acrylates Copolymer, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Glycereth-26, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pisum Sativum Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Adansonia Digitata Oil, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Glycerin, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Dextran, Polyquaternium-7, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Vanillyl Butyl Ether, Polyquaternium-10, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Coconut Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Juniperus Virginiana Oil
Masking
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed
Abrasive
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit
EmollientBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicNiacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Babassu Oil Polyglyceryl-4 Esters
Surfactant
Beta-Caryophyllene
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Phytate
Sodium Sulfate
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Decyl Glucoside, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit, Biotin, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Babassu Oil Polyglyceryl-4 Esters, Beta-Caryophyllene, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Glyceryl Oleate, Inulin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Sulfate, Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCitric 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 AcidThis ingredient is also known as lime essential oil or key lime essential oil.
Like other citrus extracts and oils, this ingredient contains furanocoumarins that can cause phototoxicity.
Citrus Limon Peel Oil is created from the peels of the lemon. It is used to add a lemon-scent to products. Lemon peel oil also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. However, it may also cause phototoxicity and sensitize skin.
Lemon peel oil contains limonene, a skin sensitizing ingredient. Another component is furanocoumarin, which induces phototoxicity in skin.
Furanocoumarins bind and destabilize your DNA to increase the rate of sunburn.
Most reputable companies will remove furanocoumarins from their formulations.
Learn more about Citrus Limon Peel OilGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil is an essential oil also known as rosemary essential oil. In skincare, it is a skin conditioning agent and also acts as a natural fragrance that gives products a fresh/herby smell.
The oil is a mix of over 100 volatile compounds with 1,8-cineole, α-pinene, camphor, and verbenone usually leading the pack.
Lab studies credit this oil with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity. Some research even show rosemary compounds calming acne-related inflammation.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be nonsensitizing.
Since this is a fragrant essential oil, the main concern is for fragrance-sensitive folks.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf 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 BenzoateWater. 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
