What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantSqualane
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCoconut Acid
CleansingCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Squalane, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Coconut Acid, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningAcrylates Copolymer
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingXylitylglucoside
HumectantPropanediol
SolventCoco-Glucoside
CleansingAnhydroxylitol
HumectantStearic Acid
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningXylitol
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCoconut Alcohol
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
EmulsifyingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Disodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeAvena Sativa Leaf Extract
AstringentWater, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Xylitylglucoside, Propanediol, Coco-Glucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xylitol, Panthenol, Coconut Alcohol, Citric Acid, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Avena Sativa Leaf Extract
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Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinChances 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 Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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