What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Citrus Nobilis Oil
Masking
Citrus Bergamia Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Cedrus Deodara Wood Oil
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingHydroxypropyl Oxidized Starch Pg-Trimonium Chloride
HumectantStarch Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Coco-Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Citrus Nobilis Oil, Citrus Bergamia Peel Oil Expressed, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Cedrus Deodara Wood Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Hydroxypropyl Oxidized Starch Pg-Trimonium Chloride, Starch Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Glyceryl Laurate, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Levulinic Acid, P-Anisic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Geraniol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Isethionate
EmulsifyingSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantParfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingTetrasodium EDTA
Zinc Laurate
Limonene
Perfuming
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Polyquaternium-7
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Linalool
Perfuming
Magnesium Nitrate
Citral
Perfuming
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Lecithin
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Magnesium Chloride
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
CI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Methyl Isethionate, Synthetic Wax, Dipropylene Glycol, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Zinc Laurate, Limonene, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Polyquaternium-7, Benzophenone-4, Amyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citric Acid, Linalool, Magnesium Nitrate, Citral, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Methylisothiazolinone, Maltodextrin, CI 73360, CI 77891, CI 42090
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citral is the molecule responsible for the fresh lemon scent in lemon, lime, and lemongrass. It is a fragrance ingredient that can be created from plant essential oils or synthetically.
Though Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1% so there's likely no skin benefit.
You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.
Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
The term '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.
Learn more about CitralCitric 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 BetaineCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolChances 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
