What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingAnhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate
EmulsifyingZinc PCA
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Decyl Glucoside, Salicylic Acid, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Xylitylglucoside, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Panthenol, Betaine, Sodium PCA, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Pentylene Glycol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Saccharide Isomerate, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Zinc PCA, Lactic Acid, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
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 AcidDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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
