What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-2 Stearate Se
EmulsifyingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Lauramide DEA
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingPotassium Chloride
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Butyl Avocadate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin, Water, Palmitic Acid, Butylene Glycol, PEG-2 Stearate Se, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Lauramide DEA, Alcohol, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Parfum, Titanium Dioxide, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyl Avocadate
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sorbitol
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Polyquaternium-67
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientArachidic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vinegar
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Oleic Acid
Emollient
CI 77004
Cosmetic ColorantMineral Salts
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantPinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Butylene Glycol, Glucose, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sorbitol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-67, Papain, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Arachidic Acid, Lauric Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Citrate, Propanediol, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Vinegar, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Oleic Acid, CI 77004, Mineral Salts, Citric Acid, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Disodium EDTA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolDisodium 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 GlycerinLauric 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.
Learn more about Lauric AcidMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideWater. 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
