What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Tea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Isoniacinamide
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Apigenin
Antioxidant
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningBiotinoyl Tripeptide-1
PEG-45m
HumectantGlycol Stearate
Emollient
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-73
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Dimethiconol, Tea-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamide Mea, Isoniacinamide, Adenosine, Cyclodextrin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Butylene Glycol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Apigenin, Oleanolic Acid, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, PEG-45m, Glycol Stearate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-73, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Parfum, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningLauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides
Emollient
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Glycine
Buffering
Larix Europaea Wood Extract
HumectantSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Zinc Chloride
AntimicrobialWater, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Glucoside, Citric Acid, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Maltodextrin, Glycol Distearate, Panthenol, Sodium Benzoate, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Glycine, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Zinc Chloride
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 BetaineGlycerin (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 Water
