What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Silkworm Cocoon Extract
HumectantParfum
Masking
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Sorbitol, Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Decyl Glucoside, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Silkworm Cocoon Extract, Parfum, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Water
Skin ConditioningLauric Acid
Cleansing
Sorbitol
Humectant
PEG-75
HumectantCocamide DEA
Emulsifying
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Aminocaproic Acid
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Camphor
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
Steareth-20
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Lauric Acid, Sorbitol, PEG-75, Cocamide DEA, Decyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Aminocaproic Acid, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Camphor, Glycerin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Steareth-20, Disodium EDTA, Alcohol Denat., Ethylparaben, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Decyl 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 below the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinHouttuynia Cordata Extract is more commonly known as Heart Leaf, Fish Mint, or Chameleon plant.
The components found in Heart Leaf give it antioxidant, hydrating, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Heart Leaf is rich in flavonoids such as quercetin, apigenin, and more. It also contains polysaccharides, the most common type of carbs in food.
Flavonoids have been shown to be effective antioxidants. They help neutralize free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are unstable molecules that may damage our skin cells and DNA. The flavonoids in Heart Leaf also help soothe the skin.
Polysaccharides are naturally found in our skin. They play a role in hydrating and repairing the top layer of skin. The polysaccharides in Heart Leaf help moisturize our skin.
Studies show decanoyl acetaldehyde, a component of Heart Leaf oil, is effective at killing bacteria.
The name 'Fish Mint' comes from the herb's natural fishy smell. Is is native to southeast Asia and used throughout the continent for traditional cooking and medicine.
Learn more about Houttuynia Cordata ExtractLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSorbitol 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 SorbitolWater. 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
