What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingZinc Citrate
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium PCA
Humectant
Arginine PCA
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Allantoin, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Zinc Citrate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium PCA, Arginine PCA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Dipotassium Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Lauric Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate (SLL) is a mild, plant-derived surfactant made by combining lauric acid with lactic acid.
It has two main jobs in a formula:
A perk of this ingredient is that it leaves skin feeling soft and silky after rinsing. This is why you'll even see it in baby washes.
Another perk?
The lauric acid backbone gives it mild antimicrobial activity and lauric acid itself has been shown to suppress acne-causing bacteria in lab studies.
In 2023, scientists took a close look at how SLL behaves and found it can break apart the fatty outer layers of cells. This is basically why it cleans well and can fight off certain microbes.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel has reviewed it and concluded it's safe as used.
A 2017 survey showed concentrations up to 10% are used in rinse-off cleansers and roughly 0.5-5% being typical in skincare.
Animal and reconstructed-skin testing found it to be non-irritating at 10%, and it's well tolerated even on sensitive skin. The only caveat is to patch test if you have a lactic acid allergy.
As a lactylate salt used at low co-emulsifier concentrations, this ingredient is less likely to break down and release free lauric acid on skin. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sodium Lauroyl LactylateWater. 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
