What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Abrasive
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingParfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides
EmollientHydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingUndecylenoyl Glycine
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Sodium Chloride, Parfum, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides, Hydroxystearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Capryloyl Glycine, Undecylenoyl Glycine, Citric Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Limonene, Linalool, CI 17200, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Ammonium Chloride
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauryl Lactate
EmollientMethyl Glucose Caprate/Caprylate/Oleate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Laurate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMethylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycol Distearate, Ammonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Lauryl Lactate, Methyl Glucose Caprate/Caprylate/Oleate, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Propanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, 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 Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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
