What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Chloride
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Glycerides Polyglyceryl-10 Esters
EmollientPotassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phytic Acid
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Alanine
Masking
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Serine
Masking
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingValine
MaskingThreonine
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
Masking
Histidine
Humectant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Glycerin, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Water, Propanediol, Citric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Coconut Acid, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides Polyglyceryl-10 Esters, Potassium Cocoate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Phytic Acid, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Glycine, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Alanine, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Serine, Disodium Phosphate, Valine, Threonine, Proline, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Histidine, Methylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Potassium Chloride
Polyquaternium-7
Disodium EDTA
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Epilobium Fleischeri Extract
Skin ConditioningPropylparaben
Preservative
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Potassium Chloride, Polyquaternium-7, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Potassium Cocoate, Coconut Acid, Methylparaben, Sodium Hyaluronate, Epilobium Fleischeri Extract, Propylparaben, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
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 AcidCoconut acid is a mixture of fatty acids obtains by hydrolyzing coconut oil and then distilling the fatty acid portion. It works as a cleansing surfactant, emollient, and emulsifier depending on the formulation.
This ingredient is not a single compound but reflects the fatty acid profile of coconut oil itself, which is about 90% saturated.
The dominant fatty acid is lauric acid (44-54%) and then myristic acid (13-19%). There are also small amounts of caprylic, capric, palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids.
Human testing from CIR has shown no indication this ingredient to be a primary irritant, sensitizer, or phototoxic compound. It's COSMOS-approved for natural and organic products.
Due to the fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Research has confirmed Malassezia can use lauric acid as a food source.
Learn more about Coconut 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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenWe don't have a description for Potassium Chloride yet.
This ingredient is the potassium salt of coconut acid. Coconut acid is created by mixing fatty acids from coconut oil.
It is an emulsifier, surfactant, and cleanser. According to a manufacturer, it contains glycerin.
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate is an amino acid-based surfactant and cleaning agent. This ingredient can be derived from animals or plants. It may also be synthetically created from fatty acids of the coconut and glycine.
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate is a gentle surfactant. Surfactants help gather the dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away. It is a mild cleanser and naturally produces foam.
Water. 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
