What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyrtus Communis Leaf Water
MaskingKaolin
Abrasive
Bentonite
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Montmorillonite
AbsorbentPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol Laurate
Skin ConditioningSimethicone
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTrisodium EDTA
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Myrtus Communis Leaf Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Butylene Glycol, Montmorillonite, Polysorbate 20, PEG-100 Stearate, Charcoal Powder, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, PEG-150 Distearate, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Sorbitan Laurate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Simethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Silt
AbsorbentPropanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sodium Trideceth Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-30
CleansingPEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLactic Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate
EmollientBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalene
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Maris Sal
Skin ConditioningDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningPhoenix Dactylifera Fruit Extract
EmollientMaris Aqua
HumectantWater, Kaolin, Silt, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Stearyl Alcohol, Cocamide Mea, Ceteareth-30, PEG-40 Stearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lactic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Tristearate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glycine Soja Oil, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Maris Sal, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Phoenix Dactylifera Fruit Extract, Maris Aqua
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinKaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.
Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.
Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.
The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.
Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.
Learn more about KaolinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
