Muji Mild Face Soap Versus Muji Moisturising Milk
What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantPalmitic Acid
EmollientGlycol Distearate
EmollientLauric Acid
CleansingSodium Lauramido Diacetate
CleansingSodium/Mea-PEG-3 Cocamide Sulfate
CleansingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingLauramide DEA
SurfactantWater
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientPEG-32
HumectantSqualane
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingGlycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Starch
HumectantPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningCitrus Grandis Seed Extract
AstringentArginine
MaskingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, PEG-32, Squalane, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrolyzed Starch, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Polyquaternium-51, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Arginine, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 OilWater. 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