What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Disodium Ethylene Dicocamide PEG-15 Disulfate
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-20
CleansingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates Crosspolymer
AbsorbentDisodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sorbitol, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Disodium Ethylene Dicocamide PEG-15 Disulfate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Caffeine, Ceteareth-20, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Panthenol, Acrylates Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, BHT, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceramide NP, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
C15-19 Alkane
SolventC10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientCorn Starch Modified
AbsorbentCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Maltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantXanthan Gum
Emulsifying1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
UV AbsorberRhamnose
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, C15-19 Alkane, C10-18 Triglycerides, Dipropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Pentylene Glycol, Squalane, Sucrose Stearate, Corn Starch Modified, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Sclerotium Gum, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Xanthan Gum, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Mannitol, Xylitol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Rhamnose, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
