What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingHypericum Perforatum Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Althaea Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract
EmollientAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingParfum
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide Mea, Glycolic Acid, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Althaea Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Sodium Chloride, Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cocamidopropyl 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 BetaineSodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a surfactant, cleansing agent, and foaming agent. You'll find it in a wide range of products from shampoos to face cleansers.
It:
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has assessed it in 1983, 2002, and 2005 and found it to be safe in formulations at low concentrations.
SLS is a well-documented skin irritant at higher concentrations or with prolonged exposure. It's actually the gold standard positive control used in dermatological patch testing, meaning doctors use it because they know it will cause a reaction in people.
In one large study of 43,000 patiences tested with 0.25% SLS, about 22% showed some level of reactivity. It increases transepidermal water loss that disrupts your outermost layer of skin.
Face cleansers often pair this ingredient with mild co-surfactants like Cocamidopropyl Betaine to buffer its harshness.
Just so you know, SLS does not trigger true allergic contact dermatitis. This just means it can irritate your skin but doesn't cause your immune system to develop a lasting allergy to it.
Despite internet rumors, SLS is not considered a carcinogen by any major regulatory body.
Learn more about Sodium Lauryl 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
