What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Myristic Acid
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingLauric Acid
CleansingGlycol Distearate
EmollientDecyl Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPolyquaternium-7
DMDM Hydantoin
PreservativeIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
PreservativeNiacinamide
SmoothingDisodium EDTA
Charcoal Powder
AbrasiveCarbon
Parfum
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Myreth Sulfate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningMenthol
MaskingAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate
CleansingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyquaternium-10
Laureth-2
CleansingBenzophenone-4
UV AbsorberPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativeEthylparaben
PreservativeLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingParfum
MaskingCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Myreth Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Panthenol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Menthol, Alcohol Denat., Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-10, Laureth-2, Benzophenone-4, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Limonene, Linalool, Parfum, CI 42090
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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