What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Bacillus/Soybean Ferment
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
HumectantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Trehalose, Inulin, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Panthenol, Lactic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-150 Distearate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingCastoryl Maleate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract
SmoothingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Xylitol
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Glycereth-26, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Castoryl Maleate, Xanthan Gum, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Xylitol, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Ectoin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Lactic Acid, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Caprylyl Glycol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide is a prebiotic. It prevents harmful bacteria from growing on skin by keeping the skin's microbiome in balance.
Another benefit of this ingredient is its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect our skin from oxidative damage.
Glycerin (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 AcidThis gentle cleansing and foaming ingredient is known for leaving a smooth feeling in skin and hair. It is made using coconut oil.
According to the manufacturer, it is soluble in water and has resistance to hard water, acid, and alkali.
Due to its coconut base, it may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Sodium Methyl Cocoyl TaurateWater. 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
