What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
EmulsifyingAcrylates Copolymer
Zinc Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPEG-3 Distearate
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid
MaskingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Acrylates Copolymer, Zinc Gluconate, PEG-3 Distearate, Salicylic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantAcrylates Copolymer
Decyl Glucoside
CleansingSodium PCA
HumectantOlive Oil PEG-7 Esters
EmollientVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Lecithin
EmollientLycium Barbarum Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningCallicarpa Japonica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingNiacinamide
SmoothingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCalcium Pantothenate
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantPyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningMannitol
HumectantPolyquaternium-7
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeMenthol
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentSodium Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentParfum
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentMica
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Benzoate
MaskingIsomalt
HumectantPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium PCA, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Lecithin, Lycium Barbarum Callus Culture Extract, Callicarpa Japonica Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Pyridoxine Hcl, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Mannitol, Polyquaternium-7, Phenoxyethanol, Menthol, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Maltodextrin, Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Zea Mays Starch, Mica, Sodium Benzoate, Isomalt, Potassium Sorbate, CI 77007
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.
After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.
It is also used to make a product more thick.
Learn more about Acrylates CopolymerAllantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Chances 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 Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying ingredient. It is created from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. SLES is not the same as sodium lauryl sulfate. It is much milder and less likely to irritate.
SLES helps create foam in personal products. It also prevents ingredients from separating, helping to elongate the shelf life.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a type of sulfate. It can be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.
Learn more about Sodium Laureth SulfateWater. 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