What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningMelatonin
Antioxidant
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningLauryl Glucoside
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Melatonin, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Thioctic Acid, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Lauryl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentPropanediol
Solvent
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Caproyl Methyltaurate
CleansingCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf
Perfuming
Oryza Sativa Powder
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Betaphycus Gelatinum Extract
BleachingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyquaternium-39
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Carbonate
BufferingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Water, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Propanediol, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Caproyl Methyltaurate, Coco-Betaine, Parfum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Oryza Sativa Powder, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Betaphycus Gelatinum Extract, Lauryl Glucoside, Potassium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-39, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Carbonate, Alcohol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinLauryl Glucoside sugar- and lipid-based cleansing agent. It is created from glucose and lauryl alcohol.
This ingredient is a surfactant, making it easier to rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants away.
A British study found lauryl glucoside to cause skin sensitivity for some people. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Other names for this ingredient include "Lauryl Polyglucose", "Lauryl glycoside", and "D-Glucopyranoside".
Learn more about Lauryl GlucosidePhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Cocoyl Glutamate is a gentle cleanser and surfactant. It is the sodium salt of the Cocoyl Glutamic Acid and comes from coconut oil. As a surfactant, it helps lift dirt and oil to be washed away.
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate also has an emolliating effect and can help leave the skin feeling soft.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
