What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialOryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
C12-13 Pareth-3
EmulsifyingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
ChelatingCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantPonceau Sx
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Lauric Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide Mea, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, C12-13 Pareth-3, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, CI 42090, CI 19140, Ponceau Sx, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Palm Acid
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Sedum Sarmentosum Extract
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyquaternium-7
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Phytate
Chelating1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Leucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Cysteine
Antioxidant
Methionine
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Palm Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sedum Sarmentosum Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyquaternium-7, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Phytate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium Bicarbonate, Butylene Glycol, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate
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 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePotassium Hydroxide (also known as potash) is a strong alkaline ingredient that does one job: it nudges a product's pH up so the whole formula lands in a skin-friendly range.
It's also the base that turns oils into liquid soap during the soap making process.
An expert safety panel reviewed it and found it safe when formulations are made to be non-irritating.
As a pH adjuster, it's typically used well under 1% though regulatory caps go much higher: 5% in nail cuticle removers and 2-4.5% in hair straighteners.
Though there is some concern for irritation from raw or high pH material, a well-balanced formula will be a non-issue for the vast majority of people.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
