What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-22
PEG-7 Amodimethicone
Humectant
Polyquaternium-39
Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate
Disodium Tetrapropenyl Succinate
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Panthenol, Polyquaternium-22, PEG-7 Amodimethicone, Polyquaternium-39, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate, Disodium Tetrapropenyl Succinate, Coconut Acid, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolyquaternium-22
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Sodium Citrate
BufferingLinoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-22, Piroctone Olamine, Sodium Citrate, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate
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 AcidCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolWe don't have a description for Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate yet.
We don't have a description for Polyquaternium-22 yet.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium Bicarbonate has a more famous name: Baking soda.
In cosmetics, it is used to adjust the acidity. Due to its white crystalline solid form, it can also be an abrasive (exfoliator).
This ingredient is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium BicarbonateSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a surfactant that helps water and oil mix so that dirt, sweat, sebum, and sunscreen can rinse away easily. It's not technically a sulfate, but behaves similarly in formulas.
What it does:
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a strong cleansing surfactant and is much stronger than many mild cleansers. Because it works deeply, it can disrupt the skin's barrier. This can lead to dryness or irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Compared to gentler surfactants, it's effective but more likely to dry or irritate if not balanced with soothing ingredients.
CIR considers sodium α-olefin sulfonates (including C14-16) to be safe for use in rinse-off products when properly formulated. It is poorly absorbed through normal skin but absorption increases if the skin barrier is already damaged.
Learn more about Sodium C14-16 Olefin SulfonateChances 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 Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateSodium 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 HydroxideTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
