What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Coceth Sulfate
Cleansing
Polyacrylate-33
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids
Skin Conditioning
PEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Laureth-2
CleansingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
Masking
Water, PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Coceth Sulfate, Polyacrylate-33, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, PEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Laureth-2, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Menthyl Lactate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, CI 19140, CI 42090, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Coceth Sulfate
Cleansing
PEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate
Cleansing
Polyacrylate-33
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Xylitol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLaureth-2
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Coceth Sulfate, PEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate, Polyacrylate-33, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Xylitylglucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Anhydroxylitol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Xylitol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laureth-2, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolThis extract comes from cucumber. Cucumbers are mostly made up of water (95%), and the other 5% is composed of: vitamin C, caffeic acid, fatty acids, amino acids, and other minerals.
Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory, barrier repair, and hydrating properties.
They contain shikimate dehydrigenase, an enzyme shown to help reduce inflammation and soothe the skin.
The amino acids found in cucumbers help nourish our skin's natural acid mantle (it's an important part of our skin barrier). This slightly acidic film acts as a barrier to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants.
Unless you have an allergy to cucumbers, this is generally a non-irritating ingredient.
Fun fact: Cucumis Sativus is native to South Asia and can now be found on every continent.
Learn more about Cucumis Sativus Fruit ExtractDecyl 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 not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinLaureth-2 is a synthetic surfactant that has cleansing and emulsifying properties. It is commonly used to blend oil and water, help improve cleansing, and add foam.
Like other surfactants, laureth-2 works by reducing surface tension to help dirt, sebum, and other impurities be washed away easily.
This ingredient has low risk of irritation when properly formulated. However, some individuals with sensitive skin may still experience mild irritation.
Learn more about Laureth-2PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate isn't fungal acne safe. It can be bad for dry skin.
Peg-90 Glyceryl Isostearate is a surfactant made by reacting glycerin with isostearic acid and then attaching 90 ethylene oxide units. This gives the molecule a water-loving tail.
This dual water-oil loving structure gives this ingredient several properties; it is a:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating (also why it's pretty tolerable).
Leave-on product usage ranges between 1-5% while shaving gels can go up to 10%.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the isostearic acid base.
Learn more about PEG-90 Glyceryl IsostearateWe don't have a description for Polyacrylate-33 yet.
Sodium Coceth Sulfate is a type of sulfate.
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 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
