What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantCocamide Mipa
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-7
Dehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeSodium PCA
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantLactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
AntioxidantNiacinamide
SmoothingArginine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialPCA
Humectant3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningHistidine
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingGlycine
BufferingAlanine
MaskingSerine
MaskingValine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Benzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Cocamide Mipa, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Polyquaternium-7, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hyaluronic Acid, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Niacinamide, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, PCA, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract
AstringentSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingHeptyl Glucoside
SurfactantCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
MaskingMethylpropanediol
SolventAcer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingSodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Ferula Assa Foetida Gum Extract
PerfumingSalix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingTurnera Diffusa Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil
MaskingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientSambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingMorus Nigra Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
AntimicrobialArctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenylpropanol
MaskingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Glyceryl Glucoside
HumectantMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingCharcoal Powder
AbrasivePinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Heptyl Glucoside, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Methylpropanediol, Acer Saccharum Extract, Xanthan Gum, Acacia Senegal Gum, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Ferula Assa Foetida Gum Extract, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Turnera Diffusa Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil, Glyceryl Oleate, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Morus Nigra Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Phenylpropanol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Mentha Piperita Oil, Charcoal Powder, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide
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 BetaineCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideGlycerin (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 Oleate is the monoester of glycerin and oleic acid. It is a skin-conditioning emollient that also helps form emulsions.
What makes glyceryl oleate special is its "re-fatting" effect.
When you wash your hair and skin with a surfactant-based cleanser, the surfactants grab onto everything. This includes your skin's natural lipids, or the fats that live in your skin barrier and sebum. Once you rinse these surfactants away, it leaves your skin feeling tight, dry, and clean (in a not-good way).
Re-fatting is essentially putting some of these lipids back. Glyceryl oleate deposits a thin layer of emollient lipids back on the skin or hair surface reduce some of the barrier damage.
Also, glyceryl oleate isn't a foreign molecule to your skin. It's chemically identical to something your skin already produces and manages naturally. This is why it tends to be well-tolerated with low risk of irritation.
Typical use levels range from 0.5-5%.
Glyceryl Oleate has a function of "perfuming" in the CosIng database. This just means that the ingredient has some scent character that can contribute to the product's overall smell.
The scent of this ingredient is described as "waxy".
As an ester of oleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. This is because oleic acid falls into the carbon-chain length that Malassezia can use as a substrate.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleateSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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