What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhytic Acid
Steareth-21
CleansingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingAscorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSqualane
Emollient
Pullulan
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Citronellyl Methylcrotonate
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingMethylpropanediol
SolventSodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phytic Acid, Steareth-21, Gluconolactone, Steareth-2, Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Cholesterol, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Silica, Calcium Gluconate, Xanthan Gum, Squalane, Pullulan, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 60, Citronellyl Methylcrotonate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Methylpropanediol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HydroxideWater. 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
