What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Creatine
Skin ConditioningZinc PCA
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Oxidized Starch Pg-Trimonium Chloride
HumectantGinkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Menthol
Masking
Hexyl Nicotinate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Creatine, Zinc PCA, Caffeine, Hydroxypropyl Oxidized Starch Pg-Trimonium Chloride, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Piroctone Olamine, Menthol, Hexyl Nicotinate, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Citric Acid, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Polyquaternium-7
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pisum Sativum Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Cystoseira Compressa Extract
Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Lauryl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Triethylene Glycol
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polyquaternium-7, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Panthenol, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Avena Sativa Peptide, Zea Mays Starch, Cystoseira Compressa Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Carbomer, Coco-Glucoside, Glycol Distearate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Gluconolactone, Butylene Glycol, Calcium Gluconate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Lauryl Alcohol, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Triethylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Dehydroacetic Acid
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 GlycolCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium 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
