What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingTrisodium Hedta
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingDisodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Carbonate
BufferingUrea
Buffering
Ammonium Lactate
Buffering
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Laurate
CleansingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Cholesterol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Pantolactone
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Ethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Trisodium Hedta, PEG-150 Distearate, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Sodium Carbonate, Urea, Ammonium Lactate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Pentylene Glycol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Laurate, Phytosphingosine, Citric Acid, Glutamic Acid, Lauric Acid, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Pantolactone, Panthenol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Ethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
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 AcidPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateChances 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
