What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycolic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glycol Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningActinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
EmollientHoney Extract
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate is a type of sulfate. It can be bad for dry skin, cause irritation, and worsen rosacea.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
