What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Maltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingMaris Aqua
HumectantLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningMentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Maris Aqua, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Mentha Piperita Oil, Sodium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract
AstringentGardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHedychium Spicatum Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Abelmoschus Seed Extract
Masking
Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract
Masking
Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract
UV FilterCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Panax Quinquefolius Root Extract
AstringentHydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Chloride, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Benzoate, Hexylene Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Propanediol, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Hedychium Spicatum Extract, Hibiscus Abelmoschus Seed Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Panax Quinquefolius Root Extract, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene
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 CopolymerCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycerin (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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium 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
