What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientSea Silt
Skin ConditioningKaolin
AbrasiveGlycerin
HumectantCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingStearic Acid
CleansingTriticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingOxygen
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantCharcoal Powder
AbrasiveParfum
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGinkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingJojoba Esters
EmollientCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Glycol Stearate
EmollientPropanediol
SolventGlycolic Acid
BufferingLactic Acid
BufferingSalicylic Acid
MaskingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantSodium PCA
HumectantUrea
BufferingYeast Amino Acids
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantInositol
HumectantTaurine
BufferingBetaine
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyquaternium-4
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tetrasodium EDTA
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialTocopherol
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Jojoba Esters, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycol Stearate, Propanediol, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium PCA, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-4, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cocamidopropyl 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 BetaineSodium 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 HydroxideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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