What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingSodium Chloride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate
Emulsifying
Asparagus Lucidus Root Extract
HumectantTussilago Farfara Flower Extract
AstringentLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco-Betaine, Coconut Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Stearic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Isethionate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Palmitic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Coco-Glucoside, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Asparagus Lucidus Root Extract, Tussilago Farfara Flower Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Arachidic Acid, Panthenol, Myristic Acid, Oleic Acid, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Madecassoside
Zinc Pyrithione 2%
Antiseborrhoeic
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Isethionate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPetrolatum
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Ceteareth-20
CleansingSimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-30 Stearate
Emulsifying
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCoconut acid is a mixture of fatty acids obtains by hydrolyzing coconut oil and then distilling the fatty acid portion. It works as a cleansing surfactant, emollient, and emulsifier depending on the formulation.
This ingredient is not a single compound but reflects the fatty acid profile of coconut oil itself, which is about 90% saturated. The dominant fatty acid is lauric acid (44-54%) and then myristic acid (13-19%). There are small amount of caprylic, capric, palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids.
Human testing from CIR has shown no indication this ingredient to be a primary irritant, sensitizer, or phototoxic compound. It's also COSMOS-approved for natural and organic products.
Due to the high fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Coconut AcidGlyceryl 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 StearateChances 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 isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateWe don't have a description for Sodium Isethionate yet.
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a hydrating and moisturizing agent created from the reduction process of glucose.
Most sorbitol is usually made from potato starch. It is also found in fruits such as apples and pears.
As a humectant, Sorbitol helps draw water to the skin. This helps keep the skin hydrated. Sorbitol also helps create a thicker texture in products. You might find sorbitol in your toothpaste and other gels.
It is a non-irritating ingredient that is great for those with dry skin.
Sorbitol is a prebiotic. It helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria on your skin. The bacteria on your skin form a microbiome. This microbiome helps protect your skin from infection and harmful bacteria.
Learn more about SorbitolStearic 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
