What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingSodium Salicylate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Polyquaternium-7
Citric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Tetrasodium EDTA
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
Emulsifying
Lactose
HumectantWhey Protein
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSine Adipe Lac
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Salicylate, Sodium Benzoate, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium-7, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Tetrasodium EDTA, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Lactose, Whey Protein, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Sine Adipe Lac, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingPPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Cinnamate
Perfuming
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Sucrose Cocoate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Propylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Limonene, Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Cinnamate, Sodium PCA, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Sorbitol
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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexyl Cinnamal is a fragrance ingredient with a similar scent to jasmine. It can be naturally found in chamomile essential oil.
This ingredient is a known EU allergen and may sensitize the skin. The EU requires this ingredient to be listed separately on an ingredients list.
Hexyl Cinnamal is not water soluble but is soluble in oils.
Learn more about Hexyl CinnamalLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate is an emulsifier, thickener, and mild conditioner.
It's made by esterifying and pentaerythritol with stearic acid, and then attaching 150 units of ethylene oxide to make it water-friendly.
This structure lets it bridge oil and water to prevent ingredients from separating and keep formulas stable. It is also the reason it gives cosmetics a creamy feel without the greasiness.
The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be well-tolerated. Human repeated patch testing on the undiluted version has come back negative for irritation and sensitization. On top of that, its large molecule size makes skin penetration unlikely.
Usage concentration ranges from 5% in rinse-off to 1.8% in leave-on formulas.
Because this ingredient is derived from stearic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl TetrastearateChances 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 ChlorideWater. 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
