What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Powder
MaskingSodium Myristoyl Glutamate
CleansingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAmber Powder
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Glucoside, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Powder, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Sodium Bicarbonate, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Amber Powder, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Niacinamide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Stearate, Polysorbate 80, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingEthyl Hexanediol
SolventCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Citrus Limon Fruit Oil
Astringent
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Salix Alba Bark Water
Astringent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Myristic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Ethyl Hexanediol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citrus Limon Fruit Oil, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Stearic Acid, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polysorbate 80, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Lauric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Salix Alba Bark Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Glycol Distearate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric 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 AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPolysorbate 80 is a synthetic surfactant and emulsifier derived from sorbitol and oleic acid.
It reduces the surface tension between oil and water phases to help them stay mixed and stable in a formulation. In other words, it prevents your formulas from separating into an oily mess.
The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the scientific data and found this ingredient to be safe, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing at concentrations up to 5% (it's even approved by the FDA as an OTC eye drop ingredient).
Learn more about Polysorbate 80Chances 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 Methyl Cocoyl Taurate is a gentle, coconut-derived cleansing surfactant. It's most commonly found in "sulfate-free" cleansers.
As a taurate, it belongs to a class of anionic surfactants prized for being efficient at cleansing without harshness, good performance in hard water, stability across a wide pH range, and easily biodegradable.
It is able to lift away oil and grime and make a nice lather without stripping your skin, so it's a good pick for sensitive skin.
Safety-wise, it has a good record. The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics and concentrations go up to 11% in leave-on products or 13% in rinse-off products.
Despite being derived from coconut oil, this ingredient is fungal acne safe. It's a water-soluble surfactant with no fatty oils or esters left intact on skin for the Malassezia yeast to feed.
Learn more about Sodium Methyl Cocoyl TaurateWater. 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
