What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Isododecane
EmollientZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer
EmulsifyingCera Alba
Emollient
Avena Sativa Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Copper Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Magnesium Sulfate
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Isododecane, Zea Mays Starch, Zinc Oxide, PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer, Cera Alba, Avena Sativa Leaf/Stem Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Copper Sulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Zinc Sulfate
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethiconol Behenate
Skin ConditioningOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Caffeyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glucuronic Acid
Buffering
Magnesium Sulfate
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Dimethiconol Behenate, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Propanediol, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Caffeyl Glucoside, Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate, Glucose, Rhamnose, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Glucuronic Acid, Magnesium Sulfate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, P-Anisic Acid
Reviews
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 GlycerinMagnesium Sulfate is a salt. More specifically, it is an epsom salt, or the bath salt used to help relieve muscle aches.
Despite having ‘sulfate’ in the name, it isn’t a surfactant or cleansing agent like sodium lauryl sulfate. Unlike those sulfates, magnesium sulfate doesn’t have the same cleansing or foaming properties (it's simply a type of salt).
In cosmetics, Magnesium Sulfate is used to thicken a product or help dilute other solids. It is a non-reactive and non-irritating ingredient.
One study shows magnesium deficiency may lead to inflammation of the skin. Applying magnesium topically may help reduce inflammation.
You can find this ingredient in sea water or mineral deposits.
Learn more about Magnesium SulfateThis ingredient is an emulsifier that keeps the oily and watery parts of a formula blended together. Its real party trick is making thin, flowable, and very stable emulsions.
Typical use sits around 2-4% (a bit higher for sunscreens and foundations).
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics and noted the large molecules aren't likely to be absorbed into skin.
Because it carries a fatty-acid ester component (stearic acid), it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-30 DipolyhydroxystearateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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 WaterXanthan 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
