What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Silt
AbsorbentPropanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sodium Trideceth Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-30
CleansingPEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLactic Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate
EmollientBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalene
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Maris Sal
Skin ConditioningDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningPhoenix Dactylifera Fruit Extract
EmollientMaris Aqua
HumectantWater, Kaolin, Silt, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Stearyl Alcohol, Cocamide Mea, Ceteareth-30, PEG-40 Stearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lactic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Tristearate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glycine Soja Oil, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Maris Sal, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Phoenix Dactylifera Fruit Extract, Maris Aqua
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantLactobionic Acid
Buffering
Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Solanum Tuberosum Pulp Extract
SmoothingCaprae Lac
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGellan Gum
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Phytate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Lactobionic Acid, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Solanum Tuberosum Pulp Extract, Caprae Lac, Polysorbate 20, Xanthan Gum, Gellan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Caramel, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 AcidTocopherol 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 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
