What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingParfum
MaskingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Benzoate
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin ConditioningArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlucose
HumectantCoco-Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningUndaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin ProtectingGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
EmollientOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Meal Extract
SoothingCitric Acid
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentWater, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Glucose, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Avena Sativa Meal Extract, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Polyacrylate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholCitric 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 GlycerinWater. 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