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
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Cocamidopropylamine Oxide
Cleansing
Avocado Oil Glycereth-8 Esters
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Laureth-10
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid, Cocamidopropylamine Oxide, Avocado Oil Glycereth-8 Esters, Glycol Distearate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide Mea, Laureth-10, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidThis 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 DistearateChances 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 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
