What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sucrose
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Olivate
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Egg Yolk Extract
EmulsifyingAlbumen Extract
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSolanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Oleth-7
EmulsifyingSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sulfur
Antiseborrhoeic
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Sucrose, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Parfum, Egg Yolk Extract, Albumen Extract, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Chloride, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Salicylic Acid, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, Oleth-7, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Beta-Sitosterol, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Sulfur, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal
Oenanthe Javanica Extract 15%
AntimicrobialWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearates
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract
Skin Conditioning
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Juniperus Virginiana Oil
Masking
Artemisia Vulgaris Oil
Perfuming
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Betaine
Humectant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-22
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pantothenic Acid
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Oenanthe Javanica Extract 15%, Water, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Salicylic Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearates, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Artemisia Vulgaris Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Betaine, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyquaternium-22, Beta-Glucan, Allantoin, Gluconolactone, Sodium Phytate, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Panthenol, Ceramide NP, Niacinamide, Linolenic Acid, Biotin, Cyanocobalamin, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pantothenic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is derived from an herb native to Southeast Asia. It is famous for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.
Centella is rich in antioxidants and amino acids, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside.
Studies show the compounds in centella help with:
The combination of all these properties makes centella effective at soothing, hydrating, and protecting the skin.
Other great components of centella include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.
Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.
Learn more about Centella Asiatica ExtractGlycerin (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.
Learn more about Lauric AcidMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideSalicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is a well-known ingredient for treating skin that struggles with acne and clogged pores. It exfoliates both the skin's surface and deep within the pores to help clear out buildup, control oil, and reduce inflammation.
Unlike AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble. This allows it to penetrate into pores which makes it especially effective for treating blackheads and preventing future breakouts.
Salicylic acid is also known for its soothing properties. It has a similar structure to aspirin and can calm inflamed or irritated skin, making it a good option for acne-prone skin that is also sensitive.
Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.
It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing this ingredient into your routine.
While salicylic acid does not increase sun sensitivity, itβs still important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin.
If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.
Learn more about Salicylic AcidSorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
