What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
Surfactant
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyquaternium-10
BHT
Antioxidant
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Polyquaternium-7
CI 60725
Cosmetic ColorantBlue 1 Lake
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Benzyl Alcohol, Glycolic Acid, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-10, BHT, Benzophenone-4, Polyquaternium-7, CI 60725, Blue 1 Lake
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Sodium C12-15 Pareth-15 Sulfonate
CleansingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
Surfactant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Methyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingIsobutyl Methyl Tetrahydropyranol
MaskingEthylene Brassylate
MaskingEthyl Linalool
Masking
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Cyclamen Aldehyde
Masking
Gamma-Undecalactone
Perfuming
Methylenedioxyphenyl Methylpropanal
Perfuming
Citronellyl Acetate
MaskingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Methyl Dimethylmethylenecyclohexane Carboxylate
MaskingPolyquaternium-7
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Salicylic Acid
Masking
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sodium C12-15 Pareth-15 Sulfonate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Butylene Glycol, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Isobutyl Methyl Tetrahydropyranol, Ethylene Brassylate, Ethyl Linalool, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cyclamen Aldehyde, Gamma-Undecalactone, Methylenedioxyphenyl Methylpropanal, Citronellyl Acetate, Propylene Glycol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Methyl Dimethylmethylenecyclohexane Carboxylate, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Salicylic Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, CI 14700, CI 17200
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 AlcoholCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinPeg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate is used to improve texture and stability of a product. It is sugar based and helps thicken a product.
Once applied, it also creates a thin film to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
This ingredient is the polyethylene glycol ether of the diester of oleic acid and methylglucose. The 120 represents an average of 120 moles of ethylene oxide.
There is limited research on this ingredient, although it is considered safe to use in skincare products.
Learn more about PEG-120 Methyl Glucose DioleatePEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate isn't fungal acne safe.
Polyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.
According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.
Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is a well-known ingredient for treating skin that struggles with acne and clogged pores. It exfoliates both the skin's surface and deep within the pores to help clear out buildup, control oil, and reduce inflammation.
Unlike AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble. This allows it to penetrate into pores which makes it especially effective for treating blackheads and preventing future breakouts.
Salicylic acid is also known for its soothing properties. It has a similar structure to aspirin and can calm inflamed or irritated skin, making it a good option for acne-prone skin that is also sensitive.
Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.
It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing this ingredient into your routine.
While salicylic acid does not increase sun sensitivity, it’s still important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin.
If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.
Learn more about Salicylic AcidChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
