What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Polyglutamate
HumectantTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-100 Stearate, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Sodium Polyglutamate, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Geraniol
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Stearic Acid, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Benzoate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Geraniol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citral, Linalool, Citronellol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
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 AlcoholCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideDehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.
As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.
It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.
Learn more about Dehydroacetic AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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 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 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 HydroxideWater. 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
