What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment
Skin ProtectingLactococcus Ferment
Skin ConditioningBifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Caprylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Decyl Glucoside, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Bisabolol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Caffeine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment, Lactococcus Ferment, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP
Water
Skin ConditioningAcrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Zinc Pyrithione
Antiseborrhoeic
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil
Masking
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Amylopectin
Sodium Sulfate
Hexadecene
SolventTetradecene
EmollientDextrin
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Succinic Acid
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingWater, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Butylene Glycol, Allantoin, Chlorphenesin, Zinc Pyrithione, Panthenol, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Salicylic Acid, Bisabolol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Amylopectin, Sodium Sulfate, Hexadecene, Tetradecene, Dextrin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate, Phenoxyethanol, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Succinic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Saccharum Officinarum Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinBisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololButylene 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 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 GlycerinChances 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 cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
