What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Linalyl Acetate
Masking
Carvone
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Chloride
MaskingLinalool
Perfuming
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
Citral
Perfuming
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Pinene
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Esters, Caffeine, Parfum, Tartaric Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzoic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Linalyl Acetate, Carvone, Limonene, Sodium Chloride, Linalool, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil, Citral, Pentylene Glycol, Pinene, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingHeptyl Glucoside
SurfactantSodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-7
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingMannitol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Polyquaternium-10
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicXimenia Americana Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Sr-(Wasp Spider Polypeptide-1 Oligopeptide-178)
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Stearamine
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingThreonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Dimyristyl Phosphate
CleansingHistidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Glycoproteins
Skin Conditioning
Oligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Heptyl Glucoside, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate, Polyquaternium-7, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Decyl Glucoside, Panthenol, Hexylene Glycol, Mannitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phosphatidylcholine, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-10, Biotin, Ximenia Americana Seed Oil, Sorbitan Laurate, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Sr-(Wasp Spider Polypeptide-1 Oligopeptide-178), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Ceramide NP, Stearamine, Sorbitan Oleate, Xanthan Gum, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Threonine, Isoleucine, Proline, Dimyristyl Phosphate, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glycoproteins, Oligopeptide-2
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitrus Limon Peel Oil is created from the peels of the lemon. It is used to add a lemon-scent to products. Lemon peel oil also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. However, it may also cause phototoxicity and sensitize skin.
Lemon peel oil contains limonene, a skin sensitizing ingredient. Another component is furanocoumarin, which induces phototoxicity in skin.
Furanocoumarins bind and destabilize your DNA to increase the rate of sunburn.
Most reputable companies will remove furanocoumarins from their formulations.
Learn more about Citrus Limon Peel OilPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateChances 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
