What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
EmulsifyingPEG-16 Soy Sterol
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Coco Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
CleansingSodium Citrate
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Methylparaben
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Amino Acids
CleansingSarcosine
Skin ConditioningPotassium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, PEG-16 Soy Sterol, Polysorbate 20, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Coco Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids, Sarcosine, Potassium Aspartate, Magnesium Aspartate, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Yeast Amino Acids
HumectantTrehalose
Humectant
Inositol
Humectant
Taurine
BufferingBetaine
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyquaternium-4
Sodium Chloride
Masking
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tetrasodium EDTA
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Jojoba Esters, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycol Stearate, Propanediol, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium PCA, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-4, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
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 AcidCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineSodium 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 EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
