What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingMandelic Acid 1.5%
AntimicrobialHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate
SurfactantStarch Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Emulsion StabilisingLinoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Coco-Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingParfum
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Mandelic Acid 1.5%, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate, Starch Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingLauric Acid
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingParfum
MaskingAcrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningGlycol Distearate
EmollientCocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid
MaskingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientCoco-Glucoside
CleansingPolyquaternium-67
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGeraniol
PerfumingSteareth-4
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
EmulsifyingCitronellol
PerfumingCarya Ovata Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Benzoate
MaskingAmyl Cinnamal
PerfumingBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicSodium Acetate
BufferingSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Alcohol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantBenzoic Acid
MaskingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeHydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
EmollientLecithin
EmollientAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauric Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Parfum, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Salicylic Acid, Glyceryl Oleate, Coco-Glucoside, Polyquaternium-67, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Geraniol, Steareth-4, Chlorphenesin, Benzyl Salicylate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Citronellol, Carya Ovata Bark Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Amyl Cinnamal, Biotin, Sodium Acetate, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Isopropyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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 AcidCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlyceryl Oleate is the monoester of glycerin and oleic acid. It is a skin-conditioning emollient that also helps form emulsions.
What makes glyceryl oleate special is its "re-fatting" effect.
When you wash your hair and skin with a surfactant-based cleanser, the surfactants grab onto everything. This includes your skin's natural lipids, or the fats that live in your skin barrier and sebum. Once you rinse these surfactants away, it leaves your skin feeling tight, dry, and clean (in a not-good way).
Re-fatting is essentially putting some of these lipids back. Glyceryl oleate deposits a thin layer of emollient lipids back on the skin or hair surface reduce some of the barrier damage.
Also, glyceryl oleate isn't a foreign molecule to your skin. It's chemically identical to something your skin already produces and manages naturally. This is why it tends to be well-tolerated with low risk of irritation.
Typical use levels range from 0.5-5%.
Glyceryl Oleate has a function of "perfuming" in the CosIng database. This just means that the ingredient has some scent character that can contribute to the product's overall smell.
The scent of this ingredient is described as "waxy".
As an ester of oleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. This is because oleic acid falls into the carbon-chain length that Malassezia can use as a substrate.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumSodium 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