What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Caprylate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingPPG-14 Polyglyceryl-2 Ether
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Myristoyl Glutamate
CleansingDihydroxypropyl Arginine Hcl
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Pullulan
PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate
Moisturising
Styrene/Vp Copolymer
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprylate, Glycerin, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-400, PPG-14 Polyglyceryl-2 Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Dihydroxypropyl Arginine Hcl, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Pullulan, PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate, Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Caprylate
EmulsifyingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingPPG-14 Polyglyceryl-2 Ether
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Citrate
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium Ascorbyl Sulfate
Antioxidant
Pullulan
Lactic Acid
Buffering
PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate
Moisturising
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprylate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-400, PPG-14 Polyglyceryl-2 Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Citrate, Glycerin, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Disodium Ascorbyl Sulfate, Pullulan, Lactic Acid, PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
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 AcidDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidWe don't have a description for PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate yet.
Peg-400 is an emulsion stabilizer and prevents ingredients from separating. It is a form of polyethylene glycol.
The 400 stands for the molecular weight of this compound.
This ingredient is derived from caprylic and capric acids. It is an emulsifier with emollient properties.
According to the manufacturer, it is hydrophilic and soluble in aqueous solutions (water). They also state this ingredient is stable in a medium pH range (~5 - 8).
As an emulsifier, it helps make oils and oil-soluble ingredients more soluble in water.
Learn more about PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric GlyceridesPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser. On the emulsifier side, it keeps your formula smooth and well-mixed by playing peacekeeper for ingredients that don't naturally get along (like oil and water).
Because it has a C12 (lauric acid) fatty acid chain, this ingredient can potentially feed the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne. The Malassezia yeast prefers esters with C11-C24 fatty acids If you're prone to flare-ups, you might want to patch-test or skip this one.
This ingredient is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-10 LaurateWe don't have a description for Polyglyceryl-3 Caprylate yet.
We don't have a description for PPG-14 Polyglyceryl-2 Ether yet.
Pullulan is a low viscosity polysaccharide (a long chain carbohydrate) with binding and film forming properties when dissolved in water. It is used to create a "silicone-like" or silky feel in cosmetics without adding viscosity.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient's ability to easily dissolves makes it a great carrier for active ingredients.
Due to it being edible and tasteless, you'll likely find this ingredient in breath freshener strips. This ingredient is produced from the starch of the fungus, Aureobasidium pullulans.
Pullulan is stable over a broad-range of pH.
Learn more about PullulanSodium 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 CitrateWe don't have a description for Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate yet.
Water. 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
