What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingMethylpropanediol
SolventButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sea Water
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Leaf Extract
AstringentCoffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientQuillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Phytate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantWater, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Lauryl Glucoside, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Sea Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Decyl Glucoside, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Leaf Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Salicylic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Sodium Citrate, Dipropylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycereth-26, Propanediol, Sodium Phytate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, 2,3-Butanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantSorbitol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dipropylene Glycol, Sorbitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lactic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Gluconolactone, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
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 GlycolCitric 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 AcidDecyl 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 GlucosideDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate is a surfactant and helps cleanse skin. It is created from the fatty acids of coconut oil.
Surfactants help rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants easily from skin. It has a faint fruit-like scent.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinChances 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 Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
