What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Emulsifying
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Salicylic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Polysorbate 80
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingPCA Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Xylitol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Cocoyl Taurate, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Coconut Acid, Sodium Isethionate, PCA Glyceryl Oleate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Xylitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, 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.
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is a synthetic cleansing agent, though it is derived from coconut oil.
It is used to enhance the texture of products by boosting lather and thickening the texture. As a cleanser, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is mild.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
Water. 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
