What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Citrate
BufferingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Laureth-4
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharide Isomerate, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Laureth-4, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cocamidopropyl 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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycol Distearate serves as a pearlizing or opacifying agent in cosmetic products.
It's often included in cleansers and haircare products to give them a lustrous or shimmering appearance.
It is derived from stearic acid, a natural fatty acid commonly found in vegetable oils and animal fats.
Glycol Distearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateLaureth-4 is created by reacting ethylene oxide with Lauryl Alcohol. It is a surfactant and emulsifier.
Surfactants reduce the surface tension of ingredients so they can mix better. Emulsifiers prevent ingredients such as oil and water from separating.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
