What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingAcrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolyglyceryl-6 Caprylate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Metaphosphate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycine Max Oil
Emollient
Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Acutiloba Root Extract
Skin ConditioningOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Canola Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Citric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Metaphosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Butylene Glycol, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Propanediol, Glycine Max Oil, Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Ceramide NP, Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Phytosphingosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Canola Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Reviews
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 GlycerinChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
