What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
PEG-60 Almond Glycerides
Emulsifying
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Camellia Oleifera Seed Extract
AstringentCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil
Masking
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Hydroxyacetophenone, Camellia Oleifera Seed Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Saccharide Isomerate, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, Betaine, Panthenol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Propanediol, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
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 AcidCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is a synthetic cleansing agent, though it is derived from coconut oil.
It is used to enhance the texture of products by boosting lather and thickening the texture. As a cleanser, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is mild.
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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride yet.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium 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 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
