What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice
Skin ConditioningC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Taraxacum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Pentylene Glycol, C14-22 Alcohols, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Avena Sativa Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Caprylate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Taraxacum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCeteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol
EmulsifyingSorbitol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Cleansing
10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzoic Acid
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Decyl Glucoside, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Chloride, Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol, Sorbitol, Glycerin, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, 10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid, Avena Sativa Leaf/Stem Extract, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Laurate, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrin, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
