What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Lauroyl/Myristoyl Methyl Glucamide
EmollientSalicylic Acid
Masking
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Sodium Sulfate
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingWater, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Glycolic Acid, Betaine, Panthenol, Lactic Acid, Lauroyl/Myristoyl Methyl Glucamide, Salicylic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Laurate, Sodium Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventPEG-15 Cocopolyamine
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingMannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Quaternium-80
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Vp/Dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Water, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Panthenol, Methylpropanediol, PEG-15 Cocopolyamine, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Fructooligosaccharides, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Quaternium-80, Propylene Glycol, Vp/Dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a mild surfactant made by sticking glucose onto a blend of fatty acids.
It does two jobs because it has a sugar head that loves water and a fatty tail that loves oil:
Typical use levels range from 10-20% in cleansers and 15-30% in shower products.
Once on your skin, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down into glucose and the parent fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe because its fatty alcohol portion sits outside the Malassezia yeast's metabolization range.
Learn more about Caprylyl/Capryl GlucosideLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they don’t penetrate as deeply. This means they’re less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skin’s microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the product’s pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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 GlycolChances 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 HydroxideWater. 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
