What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ketoconazole 1%
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
BHT
Antioxidant
Blue 1 Lake
Cosmetic ColorantCitric Acid
Buffering
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Hydrochloric Acid
BufferingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPolyquaternium-7
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Tetrasodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPropanediol
Solvent
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Malic Acid
Buffering
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAcid Violet 43
Laureth-16
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-52
Acid Green 1
Acid Blue 9
Cosmetic ColorantGlycine
Buffering
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Sodium Xylenesulfonate
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide Mea, Parfum, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Propanediol, Lactic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Malic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Acid Violet 43, Laureth-16, Disodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-52, Acid Green 1, Acid Blue 9, Glycine, Benzophenone-4, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Sodium Xylenesulfonate, BHT, Sodium Benzoate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool
Reviews
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 most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholBHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.
As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.
The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.
However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.
Learn more about BHTThis ingredient is made by combining the fatty acids from coconut oil with monoethanolamine. It is an emulsifier that helps boost foam, thicken texture, and help keep ingredients together in a formula.
Glycol Distearate is an emulsifier and emollient that adds a "pearly" appearance to formulations.
That lustrous look you see in many shampoos is due to this ingredient: when cooled, it crystallizes into small platelets that reflect light to give products that rich, shimmering look.
This ingredient is considered safe at present practices of use and concentration and repeated insult patch test with 50% Glycol Distearate on 125 subjects found no evidence of skin irritation, hypersensitivity, or acute toxicity.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.1-10%.
Because it's an ester of stearic acid, it falls into the range that Malassezia likes to metabolize. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateThis ingredient is a semi-synthetic polymer created from cellulose. In case you need a refresher, cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls.
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose has many uses:
- emulsifier
- create a gel-like texture
- boost foam
Parfum 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 ParfumChances 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 HydroxideSodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying ingredient. It is created from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. SLES is not the same as sodium lauryl sulfate. It is much milder and less likely to irritate.
SLES helps create foam in personal products. It also prevents ingredients from separating, helping to elongate the shelf life.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a type of sulfate. It can be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.
Learn more about Sodium Laureth SulfateWater. 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
