What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glucosamine
Silver
Cosmetic ColorantLactic Acid
Buffering
PEG-100 Stearate
Triethanolamine 1%
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChitosan
Limonene
Perfuming
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
Perfuming
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Silver Chloride
Preservative
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glucosamine, Silver, Lactic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Triethanolamine 1%, Phenoxyethanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chitosan, Limonene, Allantoin, Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citral, Linalool, Silver Chloride, Citronellol, Geraniol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citral is the molecule responsible for the fresh lemon scent in lemon, lime, and lemongrass. It is a fragrance ingredient that can be created from plant essential oils or synthetically.
Though Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1% so there's likely no skin benefit.
You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.
Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
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 CitralGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
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 LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolWater. 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
