What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
AbrasivePentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
BufferingLactic Acid
BufferingSerine
MaskingBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningUrea
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSorbitol
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSorbic Acid
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Serine, Beta-Glucan, Urea, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sorbitol, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid
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 AcidDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate is a surfactant and helps cleanse skin. It is created from the fatty acids of coconut oil.
Surfactants help rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants easily from skin. It has a faint fruit-like scent.
Chances 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.
There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.
The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.
Scrubs may use salt as the 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water