What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningCellulose
AbsorbentSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Kaolin
AbrasiveDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSilica
AbrasiveLauryl Betaine
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingPolyquaternium-22
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingParfum
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSodium Lauryl Glycol Carboxylate
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
BufferingPolyglycerin-3
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantCoptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMalt Extract
Skin ProtectingPPG-10 Sorbitol
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Milk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantMilk Protein Extract
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingHamamelis Virginiana Extract
AntiseborrhoeicLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingCharcoal Powder
AbrasiveCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Shorea Robusta Seed Butter
EmollientTheobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningAstrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
EmollientBacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentAvena Sativa Meal Extract
SoothingGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningMicrococcus Lysate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantLactobionic Acid
BufferingGlycerin, Water, Cellulose, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Kaolin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Glucoside, Polyquaternium-22, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Lauryl Glycol Carboxylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Polyglycerin-3, Butylene Glycol, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Malt Extract, PPG-10 Sorbitol, Hexylene Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Lactobacillus/Milk Ferment Filtrate, Betaine, Milk Protein Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Lactic Acid, Charcoal Powder, Carbomer, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Shorea Robusta Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Bacillus Ferment, Oryza Sativa Extract, Avena Sativa Meal Extract, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Micrococcus Lysate, Tocopherol, Lactobionic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLauryl Betaine
CleansingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingDecylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningBetaine Salicylate
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Lauryl Betaine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Decylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Gluconolactone, Betaine Salicylate, Citric 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.
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 GlycolCitric 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 AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate is a modified starch used to help thicken a product.
It is also used in foods.
Lauryl Betaine is a cleansing ingredient. You'll most likely see it in face washes, body washes, and shampoos. It's a type of surfactant that helps water mix with oil so dirt, sweat, and sunscreen can rinse off easily.
Chemically, lauryl betaine is an amphoteric surfactant so it carries both a positive and negative charge. This helps it create a creamy foam while being less harsh than stronger detergent-type cleansers.
According to CIR, this ingredient is generally considered safe when used in cosmetics. However, like all surfactants, it can be irritating when used in high amounts of in formulas that aren't well balanced.
Learn more about Lauryl BetaineChances 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 Cocoyl Glycinate is a cleansing agent. It can be naturally derived or synthetically-created.
As a surfactant, it helps clean your skin by gathering dirt, oil, and other pollutants to be rinsed away more easily.
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate is the sodium salt from the lauric acid of glutamic acid.
It is a surfactant and helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants from your skin so they may be washed away easily.
Tocopherol 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