What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-37
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosa Damascena Flower Extract
Masking
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Glycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Ferulic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-37, Centella Asiatica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa Extract, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPropanediol
Solvent
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Acrylates Crosspolymer-4
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Propanediol, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Decyl Glucoside, Acrylates Crosspolymer-4, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Mentha Piperita Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric 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 AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract is extract from Apples. Apples are rich in Vitamin C, sugars, and antioxidants.
The sugar in Apples are humectants and help hydrate the skin. On top of that, apples also contain some acids, such as malic acid. These acids may have a mild exfoliating effect.
Last, the phytochemicals found in apples are strong antioxidants. These antioxidants help with anti-aging as they protect your skin cells against oxidative damage.
Learn more about Pyrus Malus Fruit ExtractSodium 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 HydroxideTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
Water. 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
