Human Nature Balancing Facial Wash Ingredients Explained

Updated on September 17, 2023 Submitted by latebloom

There is an older formulation of this product:

Balancing Facial Wash

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Overview

What it is

Face cleanser with 16 ingredients that contains exfoliants, PHA and Vitamin E

Cool Features

It is cruelty-free and reef safe

Suited For

It has ingredients that are good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, scar healing and better texture

Free From

It doesn't contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates

Fun facts

Human Nature is from Philippines. This product is used in 6 routines created by our community.

We independently verify ingredients and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Does this product need an update? Let us know.

Ingredient List (16)

Water, Decyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit Powder, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Gluconolactone, Calcium Gluconate, CI 77288, Sodium Benzoate

You should know

Here's our breakdown of the notable ingredients, benefits, and concerns we determined from the ingredients in this product. Click any item to learn more.

Notable Ingredients

PHA

Vitamin E

Exfoliators

Benefits

Hydrating

Skin Texture

Anti-Aging (2)

Scar Healing

Brightening

Concerns

Irritating

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

Ingredients Overview

Here's our quick-to-read summary of the ingredients in this product. Keep scrolling if you'd like to learn more about what each ingredient does!

Ingredient

Com. / Irr. Rating

Features

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Cleansing, Emulsion Stabilising

Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning

Skin Conditioning

Masking

Masking, Skin Conditioning

Abrasive

Cleansing, Foaming

Emollient, Emulsifying, Perfuming

Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

0-3 / 0-3

Buffering, Masking

Skin Conditioning

Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Cosmetic Colorant

Masking, Preservative

Ingredients Explained

This product contains 16 ingredients. Click on any ingredient to learn more about it

Water

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

Water. 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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Decyl Glucoside

What it does: Cleansing, Emulsion Stabilising

Community Rating: Mixed

Decyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant. Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away.

It is created from the fatty acids in coconut oil.

Decyl Glucoside also helps stabilize the ingredients in a product by preventing them from separating.

This ingredient is biodegradable and non-toxic. This ingredient is commonly found in baby shampoos.

Decyl Glucoside is sometimes used to stabilize the UV filter Tinosorb.

Learn more about Decyl Glucoside

Xanthan Gum

What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract

What it does: Skin Conditioning

We don't have a description for Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract.

Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles

What it does: Masking

We don't have a description for Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles.

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil is oil from the peel of an orange fruit.

Limonene and linalool make up the majority of oils from citrus peels. Limonene has a "citrus" fragrance. Citrus peels also contain flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory properties.

Citrus peel is also a rich source of flavonoids. Flavonoids are natural antioxidants and help protect your skin against damage. Flavonoids are a group of compounds naturally found in vegetables and fruits.

The term '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.

Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Luffa Cylindrica Fruit Powder

What it does: Abrasive

Luffa Cylindrica Fruit Powder is an exfoliant.

Coco-Glucoside

What it does: Cleansing, Foaming

Community Rating: Disliked

Coco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.

Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away. Coco-Glucoside is considered gentle and non-comedogenic.

This ingredient is a known skin-irritant.

Learn more about Coco-Glucoside

Glyceryl Oleate

What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Perfuming

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Glyceryl Oleate is a fragrance and isn't fungal acne safe.

Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate

What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate isn't fungal acne safe.

Tocopherol

What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Liked

Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

Citric Acid

What it does: Buffering, Masking

Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

Gluconolactone

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Liked

Gluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs have a larger structure than AHAs and BHAs and are more gentle. It is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.

When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This helps improve texture and brightens the skin.

Gluconolactone is a humectant and helps draw moisture to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.

PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.

PHAs also exhibit antioxidant activity by neutralizing free-radical molecules. This can help with anti-aging.

In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells. However, we still recommend wearing SPF especially after using exfoliating ingredients.

Learn more about Gluconolactone

Calcium Gluconate

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning

We don't have a description for Calcium Gluconate.

CI 77288

What it does: Cosmetic Colorant

Ci 77288 is used to add green pigment to products.

Sodium Benzoate

What it does: Masking, Preservative

Community Rating: Disliked

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.

Sodium Benzoate 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 Benzoate

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