What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-8 Glyceryl Isostearate
Emollient
PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethylhexanoin
MaskingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Linalool
Perfuming
Oryza Sativa Germ Oil
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-8 Glyceryl Isostearate, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Linalool, Oryza Sativa Germ Oil, Alcohol, Tocopherol, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Betaine, Hydrolyzed Silk
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Mannitol
Humectant
Cellulose
Absorbent
Spiraea Ulmaria Extract
AstringentDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Niacin
SmoothingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Laureth-2
CleansingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Sulfate
Disodium EDTA
Ammonium Lactate
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium PCA
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzoic Acid
Masking
Parfum
Masking
CI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCitronellol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acrylates Copolymer, Jojoba Esters, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Mannitol, Cellulose, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacin, Niacinamide, Caprylyl Glycol, Laureth-2, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Sulfate, Disodium EDTA, Ammonium Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium PCA, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzoic Acid, Parfum, CI 77289, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
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 BetaineDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolParfum 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 Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying ingredient. It is created from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. SLES is not the same as sodium lauryl sulfate. It is much milder and less likely to irritate.
SLES helps create foam in personal products. It also prevents ingredients from separating, helping to elongate the shelf life.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a type of sulfate. It can be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.
Learn more about Sodium Laureth SulfateWater. 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
