What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Limonene
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Propanediol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Citric Acid, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalene
Emollient
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Propanediol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Beta-Sitosterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalene, Glyceryl Oleate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Lecithin, Sodium Chloride, Tocopherol, Lactic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinLauryl Glucoside sugar- and lipid-based cleansing agent. It is created from glucose and lauryl alcohol.
This ingredient is a surfactant, making it easier to rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants away.
A British study found lauryl glucoside to cause skin sensitivity for some people. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Other names for this ingredient include "Lauryl Polyglucose", "Lauryl glycoside", and "D-Glucopyranoside".
Learn more about Lauryl GlucosidePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
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 Coco-Sulfate (SCS) is an anionic cleanser made by sulfating coconut-derived fatty alcohols and neutralizing them into a sodium salt. It's a strong and bubbly cleanser and closely realted to SLS.
This ingredient works by grabbing onto oil, dirt, and grime so they can be rinsed away. It also helps add foam for a big-lather feel.
Like other members of the alkyl sulfate family, these surfactants can be drying or irritating. This is especially true if your skin barrier is already stressed, the product is very concentrated, or if you leave the ingredient on for too long.
One research paper comparing SCS vs SLS found SCS may score a bit more on the "milder" side for irritation measures, but it still interacts strongly with skin lipids which can cause barrier disruption.
SCS tends to be the best in rinse-off products.
Learn more about Sodium Coco-SulfateWater. 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
