What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Abrasive
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glycinate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingUndecylenoyl Glycine
CleansingSodium Isethionate
CleansingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Tetrasodium EDTA
Caprylic Acid
CleansingCapric Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Parfum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrated Silica, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Stearic Acid, Capryloyl Glycine, Undecylenoyl Glycine, Sodium Isethionate, Palmitic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Caprylic Acid, Capric Acid, Hydroxystearic Acid, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningLauric Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingBenzyl Glycol
SolventCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialEthyl Hexanediol
SolventCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Artemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Benzyl Glycol, Coco-Betaine, Salicylic Acid, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Ethyl Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Asiatic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Madecassoside, Artemisia Vulgaris 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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidChances 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 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
