What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantLauric Acid
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingPropanediol
SolventHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Coco-Betaine
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPolyquaternium-10
Citric Acid
BufferingCoconut Acid
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentAdansonia Digitata Fruit Extract
EmollientOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
PerfumingEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialNymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSophora Japonica Root Extract
Skin ProtectingDisodium EDTA
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Lauric Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Propanediol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Coco-Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Coconut Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Sophora Japonica Root Extract, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPotassium Myristate
EmulsifyingAllium Cepa Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingPotassium Stearate
CleansingMyristic Acid
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPalmitic Acid
EmollientCoco-Betaine
CleansingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
SurfactantHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingSorbitol
HumectantPotassium Benzoate
PreservativeButylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientArachidic Acid
CleansingSodium Citrate
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Oleic Acid
EmollientSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLauric Acid
CleansingOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingCurcuma Longa Root Extract
MaskingCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantTranexamic Acid
AstringentDisodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Heparin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Potassium Myristate, Allium Cepa Bulb Extract, Stearic Acid, Potassium Stearate, Myristic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Coco-Betaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sorbitol, Potassium Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Arachidic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Oleic Acid, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Lauric Acid, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tranexamic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Panthenol, Sodium Heparin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene 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 GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCoco-Betaine is the natural version of Cocamidopropyl Betaine. It is often derived from coconuts.
Coco-Betaine is a surfactant, meaning it helps remove dirt and oil from the skin.
Disodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate is a modified starch used to help thicken a product.
It is also used in foods.
Lauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source. Even though "fungal acne" has the word "acne" in it, they are completely different. Regular acne is driven by a bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes, clogged pores, and excess oil. Fungal acne isn't really acne; it's caused by an overgrowth of a yeast called Malassezia that already lives on everyone's skin. Because one is bacterial and the other is fungal, they respond to different ingredients.
Learn more about Lauric AcidChances 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 ChlorideWater. 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