What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingBetaine
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingAcetyl Hexapeptide-37
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentPentapeptide-48
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, Maltodextrin, Pentapeptide-48
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingSodium Lactate
BufferingSodium Lauryl Sulfate
CleansingSodium PCA
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitol
HumectantTetrasodium EDTA
Proline
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantParfum
MaskingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Proline, Sodium Hyaluronate, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Dehydroacetic 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.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholDehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.
As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.
It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.
Learn more about Dehydroacetic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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