What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Methyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingPentadecalactone
Masking
Phenethyl Acetate
Masking
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Vanillin
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Gluconate, Potassium Sorbate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Pentadecalactone, Phenethyl Acetate, Triethyl Citrate, Vanillin, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Radiata Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil
Masking
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingCitrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Erythritol
Humectant
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract
AntiseborrhoeicBetula Alba Juice
AstringentSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Myrtus Communis Oil
Masking
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Santalum Spicatum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Serotina Bark Extract
MaskingLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Coconut Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Sodium Gluconate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Radiata Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil, Sodium Isethionate, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Citric Acid, Erythritol, Glycol Distearate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Betula Alba Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Myrtus Communis Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Propanediol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Santalum Spicatum Seed Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Acer Saccharum Extract, Prunus Serotina Bark Extract, Limonene, Linalool, Citral
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 GlycerinThis ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChloridePotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateThis is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium GluconateWater. 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
