What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Solanum Virginianum Extract
Skin ConditioningBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Golden Extract
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Ganoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin Protecting
Aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract
MoisturisingUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Illicium Verum Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Natto Gum
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingLimonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Solanum Virginianum Extract, Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Golden Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Natto Gum, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Trehalose, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Disodium EDTA, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-8
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Polyquaternium-7
PEG-90m
Emulsion StabilisingPEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Polyquaternium-112
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
BHT
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Iron Oxides
Water, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, PEG-8, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Beeswax, Polyquaternium-7, PEG-90m, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Silk, Soluble Collagen, Alcohol, Polyquaternium-112, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite, Silica, BHT, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Iron Oxides
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Beeswax is natural wax produced by honey bees to build their honeycomb.
Because it forms a protective layer on your skin, it can help lock in moisture and reduce water loss. It is also widely used as a thickener and emulsifier in lip balms and lotions. Research suggests beeswax containing moisturizers can support skin barrier integrity.
In comedogenic testing, Beeswax scored a 0-2, which is on the low end. Whether or not a product clogs your pores really comes down to the formula as a whole (not any single ingredient on its own) and your skin.
Cera Alba is the white, bleached form of this ingredient.
Just so you know, beeswax is not vegan since it is animal-derived. It cannot be removed with water, but can be taken off with an oil cleanser.
People with a known Propolis allergy also report to have reactions from beeswax.
Beeswax's wax esters are derived primarily from palmitic and oleic acid (C16 and C18:1). Both of these fall within the C11-C24 feeding window.
The Malassezia yeast can potentially cleave these esters and release usable fatty acids, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. However, not everyone will react to this ingredient.
Learn more about BeeswaxDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source. Even though "fungal acne" has the word "acne" in it, they are completely different. Regular acne is driven by a bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes, clogged pores, and excess oil. Fungal acne isn't really acne; it's caused by an overgrowth of a yeast called Malassezia that already lives on everyone's skin. Because one is bacterial and the other is fungal, they respond to different ingredients.
Learn more about Lauric AcidMyristic Acid, aka tetradecanoic acid, is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in coconut oil, milk fat, and palm oil.
In skincare, it is an:
Research indicates that this ingredient posts a low risk of irritation and sensitization.
Industry survey data collected for this ingredient puts real-world usage concentrations anywhere from 0.00002% to 20% (most of the high end sits in rinse-off products).
Myristic Acid is not a recognized contact allergen and there are no published case reports of allergic contact dermatitis to it. Human testing found it to be non-irritating at 100% and at 40-50% in mineral oil. There are complaints about high-Myristic-acid cleansers leaving a tight feeling behind, but that has more to do with soap chemistry and pH than an allergy.
This ingredient does have a comedogenic rating of 3, but this doesn't mean a formula with this ingredient will clog pores.
Human testing has proved that any finished product with this ingredient won't automatically make you break out; it really comes down to concentration, formula, and your skin. Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin.
Since myristic acid is a C14 fatty acid, it falls within the range that Malassezia can metabolize (C11-24), and therefore may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPotassium 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 HydroxideStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
