What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Parfum
Masking
Acanthus Mollis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate
EmollientLaureth-3
EmulsifyingMaleic Acid
BufferingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Oleth-10
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-22
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Parfum, Acanthus Mollis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Coconut Acid, Glyceryl Oleate, Glycol Stearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate, Laureth-3, Maleic Acid, Maltodextrin, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Oleth-10, Polyquaternium-22, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Erythritol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningLepidium Meyenii Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Acacia Concinna Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningNasturtium Officinale Extract
Perfuming
Tropaeolum Majus Extract
AntimicrobialSodium Citrate
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAmber Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
Preservative
Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningAlanyl Glutamine
HumectantArginine
Masking
Oligopeptide-177
Phenylalanine
Masking
Sisymbrium Irio Seed Oil
Masking
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Decyl Glucoside, Coco-Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Erythritol, Panthenol, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Saccharide Isomerate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract, Maltodextrin, Acacia Concinna Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Tropaeolum Majus Extract, Sodium Citrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Amber Extract, Sorbic Acid, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Alanyl Glutamine, Arginine, Oligopeptide-177, Phenylalanine, Sisymbrium Irio Seed Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinSodium 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 ChlorideSodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateWater. 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
