What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Isosteareth-200 Linoleate
EmollientSodium Sulfate
Glycerin
Humectant
Silicone Quaternium-3
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate
UV AbsorberButeth-3
SolventTributyl Citrate
SolventSodium Chloride
MaskingAcacia Dealbata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMethylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Magnesium Nitrate
Magnesium Chloride
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Moonstone Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Glycol Distearate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, PEG-150 Distearate, Isosteareth-200 Linoleate, Sodium Sulfate, Glycerin, Silicone Quaternium-3, Trideceth-12, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Buteth-3, Tributyl Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Acacia Dealbata Flower Extract, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Magnesium Nitrate, Magnesium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Moonstone Extract, Parfum, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingGlycereth-26
Humectant
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Polyquaternium-10
Amodimethicone
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate
Glycerin
Humectant
C11-15 Pareth-7
EmulsifyingLaureth-9
EmulsifyingTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
PEG-10 Sunflower Glycerides
EmollientPunica Granatum Extract
AstringentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed
Skin Conditioning
Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glycereth-26, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Parfum, DMDM Hydantoin, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium-10, Amodimethicone, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Citric Acid, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Glycerin, C11-15 Pareth-7, Laureth-9, Trideceth-12, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, PEG-10 Sunflower Glycerides, Punica Granatum Extract, Butylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hexyl Cinnamal
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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 AcidCocamidopropyl 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 GlycerinGlycol Distearate serves as a pearlizing or opacifying agent in cosmetic products.
It's often included in cleansers and haircare products to give them a lustrous or shimmering appearance.
It is derived from stearic acid, a natural fatty acid commonly found in vegetable oils and animal fats.
Glycol Distearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateParfum 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 âFRAGRANCEâ or âPARFUMâ 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 ParfumSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a surfactant that helps water and oil mix so that dirt, sweat, sebum, and sunscreen can rinse away easily. It's not technically a sulfate, but behaves similarly in formulas.
What it does:
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a strong cleansing surfactant and is much stronger than many mild cleansers. Because it works deeply, it can disrupt the skin's barrier. This can lead to dryness or irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Compared to gentler surfactants, it's effective but more likely to dry or irritate if not balanced with soothing ingredients.
CIR considers sodium α-olefin sulfonates (including C14-16) to be safe for use in rinse-off products when properly formulated. It is poorly absorbed through normal skin but absorption increases if the skin barrier is already damaged.
Learn more about Sodium C14-16 Olefin SulfonateSodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasnât been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateWe don't have a description for Trideceth-12 yet.
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
