What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Propanediol
Solvent
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Spirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Lithium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Climbazole
Antimicrobial
Cetylpyridinium Chloride
AntimicrobialCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Lecithin
Emollient
Ammonium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Cholate
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Citronellyl Methylcrotonate
Masking
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, Propanediol, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Salicylic Acid, Piroctone Olamine, Lithium Gluconate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Climbazole, Cetylpyridinium Chloride, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Alcohol, Lecithin, Ammonium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Sodium Cholate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Citronellyl Methylcrotonate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Lactamide Mea
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Ciclopirox Olamine
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPiroctone Olamine
Preservative
Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Phytate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Lactamide Mea, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Ciclopirox Olamine, Citric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Piroctone Olamine, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglyceridePiroctone Olamine is a synthetic antifungal and preservative ingredient.
Its main job is to keep the yeast, Malassezia, in check; this yeast is linked to dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and fungal acne (a.k.a. Malassezia folliculitis).
The way it works is pretty neat:
It slips into the fungal cell and grabs onto iron ions that the yeast needs for its energy metabolism; this basically starves it out. But the full mechanism isn't 100% pinned down and some research also points it to interfering with ergosterol (a building block of the fungal cell membrane).
Besides antifungal action, it also has mild anti-inflammatory and soothing effects to help calm itchiness in the scalp.
Typical usage concentrations are low. The EU permits it to be a preservative up to 1% in rinse-off products and 0.5% in leave-on products.
Though it's generally well-tolerated, a small number of people may notice itching or irritation (as with any active).
Learn more about Piroctone OlamineWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
