What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingAcrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
SurfactantHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingSodium Taurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate
CleansingSodium Taurine Laurate
CleansingErythritol
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingVaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningAroma
Disodium EDTA
Glycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Taurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate, Sodium Taurine Laurate, Erythritol, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Aroma, Disodium EDTA, Glycosyl Trehalose, Maltodextrin, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPropanediol
SolventSodium Chloride
MaskingGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingSodium PCA
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
BufferingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingPolyquaternium-10
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine
BufferingSerine
MaskingGlutamic Acid
HumectantLeucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingLysine
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingTyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
HumectantAspartic Acid
MaskingCastoryl Maleate
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Sodium Metabisulfite
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMenthyl Lactate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingAlmond Oil/Polyglyceryl-10 Esters
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-4 Punicate
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propanediol, Sodium Chloride, Gluconolactone, Niacinamide, Sodium PCA, Trehalose, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Panthenol, Saccharide Isomerate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glycolipids, Glycolic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Polyquaternium-10, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Aspartic Acid, Castoryl Maleate, Allantoin, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Menthyl Lactate, Citric Acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Almond Oil/Polyglyceryl-10 Esters, Polyglyceryl-4 Punicate, Sodium Citrate
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 AcidWe don't have a description for Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate yet.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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