What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Phytate
Arginine
Masking
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Ether, Alcohol Denat., Glyceryl Stearate Se, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Zea Mays Starch, Stearyl Alcohol, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, Glycine Soja Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Phytate, Arginine, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Salicylic Acid, Linalool, Citronellol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningMentha Piperita Leaf Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
Buffering
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Mentha Piperita Leaf Water, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sodium Levulinate, Sorbitan Olivate, Silica, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Anisate, Citric Acid, Levulinic Acid, Tocopherol
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 GlycerinTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
