What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Stearate
CleansingBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water
Skin Conditioning
Diatomaceous Earth
Abrasive
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Quaternium-90 Sepiolite
Emulsion StabilisingMica
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Moroccan Lava Clay
Abrasive
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract
Abrasive
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Quaternium-90 Montmorillonite
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Stearate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Glycerin, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water, Diatomaceous Earth, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Quaternium-90 Sepiolite, Mica, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Charcoal Powder, Moroccan Lava Clay, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Quaternium-90 Montmorillonite, Chlorphenesin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Charcoal powder comes from grounded charcoal. Charcoal can originate from peat, bamboo, coal, wood, coconut shell, or petroleum.
This ingredient has absorbent properties, making it great at absorbing oil.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid.
The structure of sodium stearate makes it both a cleanser and emulsifier. As a cleanser, it helps dissolve dirt, oil, and other pollutants. As an emulsifier, it helps prevent ingredients from separating. This adds stability to the formula.
Water. 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
