What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Polyquaternium-39
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Palmitate, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Polyquaternium-39, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycol
HumectantGlycol Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Abrasive
Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Polyquaternium-39
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Hydrolyzed Brassica Napus Seedcake Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycol, Glycol Stearate, Glycerin, Lauric Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Sodium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-39, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hydrolyzed Brassica Napus Seedcake Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source. Even though "fungal acne" has the word "acne" in it, they are completely different. Regular acne is driven by a bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes, clogged pores, and excess oil. Fungal acne isn't really acne; it's caused by an overgrowth of a yeast called Malassezia that already lives on everyone's skin. Because one is bacterial and the other is fungal, they respond to different ingredients.
Learn more about Lauric AcidPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWe don't have a description for Polyquaternium-39 yet.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
