What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantSodium Palmitate
CleansingDiglycerin
Humectant
Juglans Regia Shell Powder
Abrasive
Oryza Sativa Powder
Citric Acid
Buffering
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Tricholoma Matsutake Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Gossypium Herbaceum Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobionic Acid
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Zea Mays Starch, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Palmitate, Diglycerin, Juglans Regia Shell Powder, Oryza Sativa Powder, Citric Acid, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Angelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Arbutin, Rice Ferment Filtrate, Gossypium Herbaceum Extract, Lactobionic Acid, Allantoin, Maltodextrin, Papain, Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Surfactant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningEclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolyquaternium-39
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantFructan
Skin ConditioningFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lauryl Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-39, Decylene Glycol, Allantoin, Dipropylene Glycol, Fructan, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta-Glucan, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene 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 GlycerinSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateSodium Lauroyl Glutamate is an amino-acid based mild surfactant that is used in formulas as a primary or secondary cleansing agent. This means it helps lift away oil, dirt, and makeup.
You'll see this ingredient in facial cleansers, shampoos, and even toothpaste because it foams reasonably well while being much gentler than harsher surfactants like SLS.
A study comparing surfactant mixtures found that Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate caused visibly less disruption to skin lipid structure and less irritation than SLS when tested on human subjects; this correlated with the data from in vivo results as well.
The Tenside, Surfactants, Detergents cosmetics industry journal has also concluded that amino acid based surfactants are generally milder than their corresponding alkyl sulfate counterparts. They also stated glutamates in particular are considered one of the gentler options in the category.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel has reviewed dermal irritation and sensitization data for this ingredient at the highest reported use concentration and concluded it to be safe in present practices.
Typical use concentrations tend to run low (generally less than 10%) though the CIR's review noted the highest reported use concentration was 40% as a raw material blend (and not a diluted finished cosmetic product).
Learn more about Sodium Lauroyl GlutamateWater. 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
