What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantDecyl Glucoside
CleansingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingPPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAcrylates Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingParfum
MaskingBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientSucrose Stearate
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Isocetyl Alcohol
EmollientSucrose Tristearate
EmollientArginine
MaskingStearic Acid
CleansingSodium Lauryl Sulfate
CleansingTripeptide-3
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Decyl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethanolamine, Parfum, Behenyl Alcohol, Sucrose Stearate, Disodium EDTA, Isocetyl Alcohol, Sucrose Tristearate, Arginine, Stearic Acid, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Tripeptide-3
Sulfur 3%
AntiseborrhoeicWater
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycereth-18 Ethylhexanoate
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-18
HumectantStearyl Alcohol
EmollientHoney Extract
HumectantOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveOligopeptide-10
AntimicrobialBoswellia Serrata Extract
Skin ConditioningBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Disodium Carboxyethyl Siliconate
Skin ConditioningLinalool
PerfumingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantSulfur 3%, Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Coco-Glucoside, Acrylates Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycereth-18 Ethylhexanoate, Glycereth-18, Stearyl Alcohol, Honey Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Oligopeptide-10, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Behenyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Carboxyethyl Siliconate, Linalool, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77891, CI 77491
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.
After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.
It is also used to make a product more thick.
Learn more about Acrylates CopolymerBehenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholButylene 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 GlycolCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum