What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether
SolventButylene Glycol
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAcrylates Copolymer
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialBenzyl Glycol
SolventMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Carum Petroselinum Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Inonotus Obliquus Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Disodium EDTA
Glutathione
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Powder
Abrasive
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Platycodon Grandiflorus Root Extract
Antioxidant
Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract
Skin ConditioningFicus Carica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Water, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycerin, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Butylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Benzyl Glycol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Niacinamide, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Carum Petroselinum Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Glutathione, Citric Acid, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Powder, Centella Asiatica Extract, Platycodon Grandiflorus Root Extract, Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract, Ficus Carica Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Salix Alba Bark Extract
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 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 GlycerinSalix Alba Bark Extract comes from the bark of the white willow tree. The official CosIng listing states this ingredient to have astringent, skin conditioning, soothing, and tonic properties.
Its star compound is salicin, a natural glucoside that is chemically related to salicylic acid. That's why you'll often see it marketed as a "natural BHA alternative" but that's a bit of a stretch.
Your skin can't convert salicin to salicylic acid because it needs specific enzymes that aren't present on the skin's surface. It won't behave like true salicylic acid, especially at the concentrations used in cosmetics.
However, this ingredient has its own perks. It contains flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins that give it proven antioxidant and soothing properties.
An 8-week clinical study found a cream with 2% of this extract improved skin microcirculation, elasticity, and dark circles. This is most likely due to its role in increasing hyaluronic acid synthesis in fibroblasts and improved vascular integrity.
Another study found a topical serum with 0.5% salicin showed improvements in visible signs of aging, hyperpigmentation, and texture.
Just be careful if you have a known aspirin/salicylate allergy and be sure to consult with a medical professional about using this ingredient if you do.
Fun fact: Willow Bark extract has been used for thousands of years and ancient civilizations used white willow to help treat pain and fevers.
Learn more about Salix Alba Bark ExtractWater. 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
