What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Trifolium Pratense Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Parfum
Masking
Pantolactone
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Behenyl Olivate
Emulsion StabilisingOctyldodecyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Boswellia Sacra Resin Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
Perfuming
Commiphora Confusa Resin Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Masking
Commiphora Myrrha Oil
Masking
Boswellia Neglecta Resin Oil
Emollient
Gardenia Jasminoides Meristem Cell Culture
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Dextran
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Water, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Behenyl Olivate, Octyldodecyl Olivate, Glycerin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Glycine Soja Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Levulinic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Boswellia Sacra Resin Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Sodium Levulinate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Commiphora Confusa Resin Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Commiphora Myrrha Oil, Boswellia Neglecta Resin Oil, Gardenia Jasminoides Meristem Cell Culture, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Dextran, Citric Acid, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Farnesol
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 GlycerinWater. 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
