What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentCitric Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract
AstringentMangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPassiflora Incarnata Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Persica Fruit Extract
Abrasive
Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract
AstringentRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 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 HydroxideWater. 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
