What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cellulose
Absorbent
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Benzoate
Preservative
Polyquaternium-22
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Caramel
Cosmetic Colorant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vinegar
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Betaine Salicylate
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Thiamine Hcl
MaskingPantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantPyridoxine
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Cellulose, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Coco-Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-22, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Caramel, 1,2-Hexanediol, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Vinegar, Gluconolactone, Betaine Salicylate, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Thiamine Hcl, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine, Biotin, Cyanocobalamin, Folic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Cocamide Methyl Mea
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin Conditioning
Thymus Vulgaris Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingMentha Arvensis Leaf Extract
MaskingMentha Suaveolens Leaf Extract
AstringentPinus Densiflora Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Lactic Acid
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTetradecene
EmollientHexadecene
SolventSodium Sulfate
Disodium EDTA
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamide Methyl Mea, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Coco-Betaine, Parfum, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Panthenol, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract, Mentha Suaveolens Leaf Extract, Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract, Lactic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Tetradecene, Hexadecene, Sodium Sulfate, Disodium EDTA
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
Butylene 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 GlycolCoco-Betaine is the natural version of Cocamidopropyl Betaine. It is often derived from coconuts.
Coco-Betaine is a surfactant, meaning it helps remove dirt and oil from the skin.
Decyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is below the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a surfactant that helps water and oil mix so that dirt, sweat, sebum, and sunscreen can rinse away easily. It's not technically a sulfate, but behaves similarly in formulas.
What it does:
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a strong cleansing surfactant and is much stronger than many mild cleansers. Because it works deeply, it can disrupt the skin's barrier. This can lead to dryness or irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Compared to gentler surfactants, it's effective but more likely to dry or irritate if not balanced with soothing ingredients.
CIR considers sodium α-olefin sulfonates (including C14-16) to be safe for use in rinse-off products when properly formulated. It is poorly absorbed through normal skin but absorption increases if the skin barrier is already damaged.
Learn more about Sodium C14-16 Olefin SulfonateChances 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
