What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Cleansing
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Coco-Betaine

Cleansing

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Cleansing

Sodium Chloride

Masking
Bad for Acne Prone Skin IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

PCA

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

PPG-5-Ceteth-20

Emulsifying

PEG-100 Stearate

0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides

Emulsifying

PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

CI 77891

Cosmetic Colorant

Aspartic Acid

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ceramide NP

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Ceramide AP

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Ceramide EOP

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sorbitan Isostearate

Emulsifying
1-2 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising
1 / 0

Glycol Distearate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glyceryl Oleate

Emollient
Fragrance IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glycine

Buffering
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Trideceth-6

Emulsifying

Cetearyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 1 Fatty Alcohol IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Behentrimonium Methosulfate

Sulfate Icon

Threonine

Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Salicylic Acid

Masking
BHA IconPreservative IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Sodium PCA

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sodium Lactate

Buffering

Arginine

Masking
Good for Scar Healing IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Emulsifying

Serine

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

Valine

Masking

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Proline

Skin Conditioning

Isoleucine

Skin Conditioning

Cholesterol

Emollient
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Alanine

Masking

Phenylalanine

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Coconut Acid

Cleansing
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Coco-Glucoside

Cleansing

Chlorphenesin

Antimicrobial
Preservative Icon

Disodium EDTA

Hydroxyethyl Urea

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Citric Acid

Buffering
AHA IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Phytosphingosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Histidine

Humectant
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Polyquaternium-53

Polyquaternium-39

Polysorbate 60

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Benzoic Acid

Masking
Preservative IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Reviews

5.00
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
No Scent 50% Sticky 50% Works Well 50%
3.30
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Works Well 48% Drying 38% Great Value 34%

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning

Phytosphingosine is a phospholipid naturally found in our skin as a building block for ceramides.. It helps moisturize, soothe, and protect skin.

Phytosphingosine contributes to your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF). The NMF is responsible for hydration, a strong barrier, and plasticity. Our NMF decreases with age. Increasing NMF leads to more healthy and hydrated skin.

Studies show products formulated with NMF ingredients help strengthen our skin's barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier reduces irritation and increases hydration. Our skin barrier is responsible for having plump and firm skin. It also helps protect our skin against infection, allergies, and inflammation.

Fun fact: Phytosphingosine is abundant in plants and fungi.

More ingredients that help boost collagen in skin:

Learn more about Phytosphingosine
Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning

Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is a well-known ingredient for treating skin that struggles with acne and clogged pores. It exfoliates both the skin's surface and deep within the pores to help clear out buildup, control oil, and reduce inflammation.

Unlike AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble. This allows it to penetrate into pores which makes it especially effective for treating blackheads and preventing future breakouts.

Salicylic acid is also known for its soothing properties. It has a similar structure to aspirin and can calm inflamed or irritated skin, making it a good option for acne-prone skin that is also sensitive.

Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.

It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing this ingredient into your routine.

While salicylic acid does not increase sun sensitivity, it’s still important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin.

If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.

Learn more about Salicylic Acid
Buffering

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

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