What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentOryza Sativa Lees Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Hexadesyloxy Pg Hydroxyethyl Hexadecanamide
Citrus Junos Extract
Antioxidant
Oryza Sativa Starch
AbsorbentCaesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-7
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Lysolecithin
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientAmmonium Polyacrylate
StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAmmonium Ferric Pentetate
HumectantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Oryza Sativa Lees Extract, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Hexadesyloxy Pg Hydroxyethyl Hexadecanamide, Citrus Junos Extract, Oryza Sativa Starch, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyquaternium-7, Beeswax, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Lysolecithin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ammonium Polyacrylate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ammonium Ferric Pentetate, Titanium Dioxide, Caramel, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-7
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Squalene
Emollient
Fomes Officinalis Extract
Skin ProtectingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Trehalose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Lecithin
Emollient
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Algin
Masking
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Caprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Eos
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-25
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Magnolia Grandiflora Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Pullulan
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, DMDM Hydantoin, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Disodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-7, Potassium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Squalene, Fomes Officinalis Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Trehalose, Urea, Lecithin, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Serine, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Algin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Bakuchiol, Behenic Acid, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceteareth-25, Cetyl Alcohol, Cholesterol, Citric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Magnolia Grandiflora Leaf Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate, Pullulan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolCitric 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 AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.
According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideWater. 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
