What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate
SurfactantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLinoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Polyquaternium-10
Polysorbate 20
EmulsifyingSodium Isethionate
CleansingSodium Lauryl Sulfate
CleansingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingPotassium Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPropylene Glycol
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Polyquaternium-10, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Potassium Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCalcium Gluconate
HumectantSalicylic Acid
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCholesterol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Tetrasodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Gluconolactone, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Calcium Gluconate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate is a gentle, coconut-derived cleansing surfactant. It's most commonly found in "sulfate-free" cleansers.
As a taurate, it belongs to a class of anionic surfactants prized for being efficient at cleansing without harshness, good performance in hard water, stability across a wide pH range, and easily biodegradable.
It is able to lift away oil and grime and make a nice lather without stripping your skin, so it's a good pick for sensitive skin.
Safety-wise, it has a good record. The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics and concentrations go up to 11% in leave-on products or 13% in rinse-off products.
Despite being derived from coconut oil, this ingredient is fungal acne safe. It's a water-soluble surfactant with no fatty oils or esters left intact on skin for the Malassezia yeast to feed.
Learn more about Sodium Methyl Cocoyl TaurateWater. 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