What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Kaolin
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Propanediol
Solvent
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate
EmollientBrassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentBioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Quartz
Abrasive
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Kaolin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, PEG-100 Stearate, Propanediol, Coconut Acid, Butylene Glycol, Charcoal Powder, Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Bioflavonoids, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Myristic Acid, Quartz, Stearic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Pentylene Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Citral, Limonene, CI 77891
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-47
Skin ConditioningMenthol
Masking
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Citric Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Betaine, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Zinc Gluconate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-47, Menthol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Citric Acid
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 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
