What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-6
HumectantPPG-24-Glycereth-24
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
Smoothing
PPG-10 Sorbitol
PEG/PPG-25/30 Copolymer
SolventPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Aroma
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Maltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Polyquaternium-7
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-17 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-6
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Bromelain
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantSodium PCA
Humectant
Castoryl Maleate
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Glyceryl Hydroxystearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-43
Tremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
CI 11680
Cosmetic ColorantCI 12490
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Pearl
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Algin
Masking
Water, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, PEG-6, PPG-24-Glycereth-24, Niacinamide, PPG-10 Sorbitol, PEG/PPG-25/30 Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Aroma, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Alpha-Arbutin, Hydroxystearic Acid, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Polyquaternium-7, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-17 Dimethicone, Octyldodecanol, Ceramide NP, Polyquaternium-6, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ascorbic Acid, Bromelain, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Sodium PCA, Castoryl Maleate, Hyaluronic Acid, Glucose, Glyceryl Hydroxystearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyquaternium-43, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Sodium Benzoate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phospholipids, BHT, Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, CI 11680, CI 12490, Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Papain, Hydrolyzed Pearl, Carbomer, Ceramide EOP, Hydroxyacetophenone, Algin
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauramine Oxide
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Tetrasodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinMyristic 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 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 HydroxideStearic 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
