What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Lauryl Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Citric Acid, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Panthenol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Stearic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Acrylates Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Propanediol, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Cocoate, Sorbitan Olivate, Salicylic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Centella Asiatica 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.
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
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 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 AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateSodium 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 IsethionateThis gentle cleansing and foaming ingredient is known for leaving a smooth feeling in skin and hair. It is made using coconut oil.
According to the manufacturer, it is soluble in water and has resistance to hard water, acid, and alkali.
Due to its coconut base, it may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Sodium Methyl Cocoyl TaurateSorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateWater. 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
