What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Citrate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Surfactant
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Erythritol
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Coco-Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Betaine, Erythritol, Trehalose, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Allantoin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Propolis Extract
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 GlycerinChances 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.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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
