What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingSorbitol
HumectantSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentCucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVigna Angularis Seed Extract
Skin ProtectingLauryl Betaine
CleansingOryza Sativa Powder
Butylene Glycol
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyquaternium-22
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sorbitol, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Oryza Sativa Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract, Vigna Angularis Seed Extract, Lauryl Betaine, Oryza Sativa Powder, Butylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-22, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid
Glycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningCellulose
AbsorbentSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Kaolin
AbrasiveDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydrated Silica
AbrasiveLauryl Betaine
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
BufferingPolyglycerin-3
HumectantHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingFicus Carica Fruit Extract
HumectantCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Glycerin, Water, Cellulose, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Kaolin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrated Silica, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Polyglycerin-3, Hexylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Beta-Glucan, Ceramide NP, Carbomer, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
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
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerButylene 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 AcidDisodium 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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate is a modified starch used to help thicken a product.
It is also used in foods.
Lauryl Betaine is a cleansing ingredient. You'll most likely see it in face washes, body washes, and shampoos. It's a type of surfactant that helps water mix with oil so dirt, sweat, and sunscreen can rinse off easily.
Chemically, lauryl betaine is an amphoteric surfactant so it carries both a positive and negative charge. This helps it create a creamy foam while being less harsh than stronger detergent-type cleansers.
According to CIR, this ingredient is generally considered safe when used in cosmetics. However, like all surfactants, it can be irritating when used in high amounts of in formulas that aren't well balanced.
Learn more about Lauryl BetaineChances 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 Glycinate is a cleansing agent. It can be naturally derived or synthetically-created.
As a surfactant, it helps clean your skin by gathering dirt, oil, and other pollutants to be rinsed away more easily.
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate is the sodium salt from the lauric acid of glutamic acid.
It is a surfactant and helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants from your skin so they may be washed away easily.
Water. 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