What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Hordeum Vulgare Sprout Extract
AntioxidantWater
Skin ConditioningHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingLauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Cocamide Methyl Mea
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingSorbitol
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPotassium Benzoate
PreservativePogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
CleansingDisodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate
EmulsifyingCoptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
AntioxidantRice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
ExfoliatingAnastatica Hierochuntica Extract
AstringentBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningHordeum Vulgare Sprout Extract, Water, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Glycerin, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamide Methyl Mea, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tromethamine, Sodium Chloride, Sorbitol, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Benzoate, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Coco-Glucoside, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Rice Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Ferment Filtrate, Dextrin, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Beta-Glucan
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingLauric Acid
CleansingMyristic Acid
CleansingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauryl Betaine
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Salicylic Acid
MaskingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCalamine
AbsorbentGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingPotassium Glycyrrhizinate
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
AntioxidantAsiaticoside
AntioxidantAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauryl Betaine, Butylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Beeswax, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Salicylic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Mentha Piperita Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Calamine, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Potassium Glycyrrhizinate, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic 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 AcidDisodium 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 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 ChlorideWater. 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