What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Myreth Sulfate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
HumectantNelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantLauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Lauryl Sulfate
CleansingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
CleansingBenzophenone-4
UV AbsorberSodium Chloride
MaskingPolyquaternium-10
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativeEthylparaben
PreservativeSodium Sulfate
Geraniol
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingTriethanolamine
BufferingParfum
MaskingCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Myreth Sulfate, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Benzophenone-4, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Sodium Sulfate, Geraniol, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Triethanolamine, Parfum, CI 42090, CI 16035
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingPEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
CleansingTriethanolamine
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientDistearyl Ether
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingLaureth-2
CleansingSqualane
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Lauryl Glucoside, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Triethanolamine, Sodium Chloride, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, Distearyl Ether, Sodium Benzoate, Laureth-2, Squalane, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Persea Gratissima Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.
After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.
It is also used to make a product more thick.
Learn more about Acrylates CopolymerCocamidopropyl 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 GlycerinLauryl Glucoside sugar- and lipid-based cleansing agent. It is created from glucose and lauryl alcohol.
This ingredient is a surfactant, making it easier to rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants away.
A British study found lauryl glucoside to cause skin sensitivity for some people. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Other names for this ingredient include "Lauryl Polyglucose", "Lauryl glycoside", and "D-Glucopyranoside".
Learn more about Lauryl GlucosidePEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate isn't fungal acne safe.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Chances 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 ChlorideSodium 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 HydroxideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolTriethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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