What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Tocopherol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Coconut Acid
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Cottonseed Protein
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDimethicone
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
C12-13 Pareth-3
EmulsifyingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Reticulata Leaf Oil
Masking
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingJasminum Officinale Oil
Masking
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil
Masking
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Martini Oil
Masking
Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil
Astringent
Guaiacum Officinale Wood Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialPinus Sylvestris Cone Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingLinolenic Acid
Cleansing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Isethionate
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysilicone-11
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate, Ceramide NP, Phytosterols, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Coconut Acid, Hydrolyzed Cottonseed Protein, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, C12-13 Pareth-3, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata Leaf Oil, Myristic Acid, Trideceth-12, Jasminum Officinale Oil, Linoleic Acid, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil, Guaiacum Officinale Wood Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Disodium EDTA, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Pinus Sylvestris Cone Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Linolenic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Isethionate, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Decyl 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 below 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 GlycerinPalmitic 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 AcidPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil comes from the sweet almond, a tree native to Iran. This oil has no fragrance and is non-volatile.
Almonds contain healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. It is a rich source of Vitamin E, a great antioxidant and skin conditioning ingredient. Sweet almond oil contains fatty acids such as linolenic acid and triglycerides.
The content of sweet almond oil makes it a great emollient; it can help soften and hydrate your skin. Emollients create a barrier over your skin to trap moisture in. Sweet almond oil has antioxidant properties.
Those with an almond allergy should be careful of this ingredient and speak with a professional about using it in your skincare.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis OilChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium 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 hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateStearic 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 AcidTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
