What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Methylpropanediol
SolventSodium Chloride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Polyquaternium-22
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Althaea Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract
EmollientFoeniculum Vulgare Fruit Extract
EmollientOcimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycol Distearate, Potassium Cocoate, Glycol Stearate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Methylpropanediol, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polyquaternium-22, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Decylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta-Glucan, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Althaea Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare Fruit Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingLauryl Betaine
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Lauryl Betaine, Propanediol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Parfum, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
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
Citric 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 AcidDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate is an amino acid-based surfactant and cleaning agent. This ingredient can be derived from animals or plants. It may also be synthetically created from fatty acids of the coconut and glycine.
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate is a gentle surfactant. Surfactants help gather the dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away. It is a mild cleanser and naturally produces foam.
Chances 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 ChlorideThis gentle cleansing and foaming ingredient is known for leaving a smooth feeling in skin and hair. It is made using coconut oil.
According to the manufacturer, it is soluble in water and has resistance to hard water, acid, and alkali.
Due to its coconut base, it may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Sodium Methyl Cocoyl TaurateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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 Water
