What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Erythritol
Humectant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate 100%
Cleansing
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate 100%
Antimicrobial
Decyl Glucoside 100%
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum 100%
EmulsifyingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningLevulinic Acid
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Levulinate 100%
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Erythritol, Inulin, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate 100%, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Zinc PCA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate 100%, Decyl Glucoside 100%, Xanthan Gum 100%, Sodium Gluconate, Levulinic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Levulinate 100%, Sodium Chloride
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water
Astringent
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Plantago Major Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Rhamnose
HumectantLactic Acid
Buffering
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Glucuronic Acid
Buffering
Xylitol
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Propanediol, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water, Sodium Levulinate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Plantago Major Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Rhamnose, Lactic Acid, Xylitylglucoside, Potassium Sorbate, Anhydroxylitol, Glucose, Glucuronic Acid, Xylitol
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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 AcidThis extract comes from cucumber. Cucumbers are mostly made up of water (95%), and the other 5% is composed of: vitamin C, caffeic acid, fatty acids, amino acids, and other minerals.
Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory, barrier repair, and hydrating properties.
They contain shikimate dehydrigenase, an enzyme shown to help reduce inflammation and soothe the skin.
The amino acids found in cucumbers help nourish our skin's natural acid mantle (it's an important part of our skin barrier). This slightly acidic film acts as a barrier to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants.
Unless you have an allergy to cucumbers, this is generally a non-irritating ingredient.
Fun fact: Cucumis Sativus is native to South Asia and can now be found on every continent.
Learn more about Cucumis Sativus Fruit ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium levulinate is the a sodium salt of Levulinic Acid. Oncedissolved in an aqueous solution, the two ingredients become identical. It is usually derived from renewable plant sources like corn starch or sugarcane.
In skincare, it mostly acts as a skin conditioning agent that keeps skin soft and hydrated. It also acts as a preservative booster by inhibiting the growth of mold, yeast, and bacteria.
It's often paired with Sodium Anisate as the two create a broad-spectrum preservative system that is popular in "natural" formulations.
This ingredient is water-soluble.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be non-irritated and there are no restrictions for use in EU cosmetics. The FDA also allows this ingredient to be used as a food-grade flavoring agent.
Learn more about Sodium LevulinateWater. 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
