What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingPolyquaternium-10
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Liquid Endosperm
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMagnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Alanine
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Hexyl Nicotinate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Dextrin
AbsorbentHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin, Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Polyquaternium-10, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera Liquid Endosperm, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Glucose, Alanine, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Sucrose, Urea, Hexylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Hexyl Nicotinate, Propanediol, Dextrin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Geraniol, Linalool, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Parfum
Masking
Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Emollient
Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingMica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Acrylates Copolymer, Parfum, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Tin Oxide, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Salicylate
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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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
