What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Polyquaternium-7
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phytic Acid
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Trehalose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Algin
Masking
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingPullulan
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Myristic Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Lauric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Alpha-Arbutin, Niacinamide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Octyldodecanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Phytic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Trehalose, Urea, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Serine, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Algin, Disodium Phosphate, Pullulan, Potassium Phosphate
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCrocus Sativus Flower Extract
MaskingCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Menthol
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-150 Distearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Oleate, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Crocus Sativus Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Menthyl Lactate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Menthol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, CI 15985
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 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 BetaineDisodium 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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
