What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C12-15 Alketh Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDimethiconol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningTea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
CleansingCocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
PEG-45m
HumectantPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
PPG-9
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium C12-15 Alketh Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Dimethiconol, Parfum, Glycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Glycol Distearate, Carbomer, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Tea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Cocamide Mea, Disodium EDTA, PEG-45m, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, PPG-9, Propylene Glycol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Coumarin, Linalool, CI 19140, CI 17200
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate
Cleansing
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride
Polyquaternium-10
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Steareth-4
EmulsifyingTetrasodium EDTA
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, PEG-150 Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Parfum, Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Panthenol, Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-10, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Steareth-4, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, CI 17200, CI 19140
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You may know this ingredient as argan oil. It has emollient and skin conditioning properties that help soften skin and reinforce the lipid barrier.
The fatty acid profile of argan oil is roughly 45-55% oleic acid, 28-36% linoleic acid, 10-15% palmitic acid, and 5-7% stearic acid. It also contains vitamin E, sterols, squalene, and polyphenols like ferulic acid.
Two clinical studies in postmenopausal women found that applying argan oil for 60 days significantly improved skin elasticity and moisturization (reduced transepidermal water loss and increased epidermal water content).
Since it is high in oleic and linoleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Both of these fall in the C11-C24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Argania Spinosa Kernel OilCI 17200 is a synthetic, water-soluble, reddish-pink dye. It is used purely as a cosmetic colorant.
In the US, the FDA permits this ingredient in cosmetics but it is not approved for use around the eyes while the EU allows this to be used in all cosmetic products.
The FDA requires batch-to-batch certification for this ingredient that is held to a pretty rigorous standard. That means the CI 17200 in your cosmetics has been tested and approved before it ever reaches you.
Contact allergy to cosmetic-grade dyes used at low concentrations are uncommon but has been documented before.
This ingredient also goes by the name D&C RED NO. 33.
CI 17200 has a comedogenic rating of 1 and an irritancy rating of 2 on a scale of 0-5. This is based on peer-reviewed research from the man who invented the comedogenic scale.
A 1 on the comedogenic scale is about as low as it gets without being a flat zero, and makes sense for CI 17200.
It's a water-soluble dye used at very small concentrations (typically 0.001-0.1%), so it dissolves into the water phase of a formula rather than sitting on your skin the way an oil or wax would.
The irritancy rating of 2 reflects that, like most synthetic dyes, there's a small possibility of mild irritation ( particularly for people with existing dye sensitivities).
For the vast majority of people, it's a non-issue at typical use levels.
It's also worth keeping in mind that comedogenic and irritancy ratings are tested on individual ingredients, not finished formulas. The final product's formulation, concentration, and other ingredients all play a role in how something actually behaves on your skin.
Just so you know, the FDA ban on Red Dye No. 3 refers to CI 45430, not this ingredient. CI 45430 and CI 17200 are different chemical compounds with distinct safety and regulatory histories.
It's also worth noting that Red No. 3 (CI 45430) was already banned from cosmetics back in 1990, so the 2025 action just extended the ban to food and oral drugs. CI 17200 was never part of any of this.
Learn more about CI 17200CI 19140 is also known as Tartrazine. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye used in cosmetics, foods, and medicine to add a yellow color.
Tartrazine is created from petroleum and is water-soluble.
Some people may experience allergies from this dye, especially asthmatics and those with an aspirin intolerance.
Learn more about CI 19140Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycol Distearate is an emulsifier and emollient that adds a "pearly" appearance to formulations.
That lustrous look you see in many shampoos is due to this ingredient: when cooled, it crystallizes into small platelets that reflect light to give products that rich, shimmering look.
This ingredient is considered safe at present practices of use and concentration and repeated insult patch test with 50% Glycol Distearate on 125 subjects found no evidence of skin irritation, hypersensitivity, or acute toxicity.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.1-10%.
Because it's an ester of stearic acid, it falls into the range that Malassezia likes to metabolize. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumChances 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
