What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauryl Betaine
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCalamine
AbsorbentGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Glycyrrhizinate
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauryl Betaine, Butylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Beeswax, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Salicylic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Mentha Piperita Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Calamine, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Potassium Glycyrrhizinate, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLauryl Betaine
CleansingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingDecylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Betaine Salicylate
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Lauryl Betaine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Decylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Gluconolactone, Betaine Salicylate, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneLauryl Betaine is a cleansing ingredient. You'll most likely see it in face washes, body washes, and shampoos. It's a type of surfactant that helps water mix with oil so dirt, sweat, and sunscreen can rinse off easily.
Chemically, lauryl betaine is an amphoteric surfactant so it carries both a positive and negative charge. This helps it create a creamy foam while being less harsh than stronger detergent-type cleansers.
According to CIR, this ingredient is generally considered safe when used in cosmetics. However, like all surfactants, it can be irritating when used in high amounts of in formulas that aren't well balanced.
Learn more about Lauryl BetaineChances 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 ChlorideWater. 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
