What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ziziphus Joazeiro Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBisabolene
Perfuming
Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Alcohol, Bisabolol, Ziziphus Joazeiro Bark Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Bisabolene, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Dehydroacetic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Yucca Schidigera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingMangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Yucca Schidigera Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Sodium Chloride, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also called ethanol or ethyl alcohol. It is denatured, meaning made undrinkable for cosmetic use.
In formulas, it:
Is it bad for your skin?
The answer comes down to concentration. Patch and wash studies have found highly concentrated alcohol-based hand rubs (60-100%) cause less barrier disruption than washing with a basic detergent like SLS. The only measurable effect in these studies was a temporary dip in skin hydration.
Concentrations below 12-15% in leave-on cosmetics is generally well-tolerated. Concentrations above start to see increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and reduced hydration.
In concentrations about 58%, it creates temporary channels in your skin's lipid layers to become more permeable and allow other ingredients to slip through easily.
This ingredient can be up to 80% of the formula in alcohol-based perfumes.
Overall, this ingredient is probably harmless if found lower down an ingredients list but worth side-eyeing if it's high up (especially if your barrier is already struggling).
Alcohol can worsen dry skin, eczema, and oily skin, especially at higher concentrations. This is because it can increase transepidermal water loss and decrease hydration to disrupt the skin barrier.
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
True allergic contact dermatitis to ethanol is uncommon, but be sure to patch test if you have dry or sensitive skin.
Learn more about AlcoholBenzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCitrus Limon Peel Oil is created from the peels of the lemon. It is used to add a lemon-scent to products. Lemon peel oil also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. However, it may also cause phototoxicity and sensitize skin.
Lemon peel oil contains limonene, a skin sensitizing ingredient. Another component is furanocoumarin, which induces phototoxicity in skin.
Furanocoumarins bind and destabilize your DNA to increase the rate of sunburn.
Most reputable companies will remove furanocoumarins from their formulations.
Learn more about Citrus Limon Peel OilDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
