What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingBetaine
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Medicago Sativa Extract
TonicSpinacia Oleracea
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingQuillaja Saponaria Wood Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Isethionate
CleansingHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Betaine, Niacinamide, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Spinacia Oleracea, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Coconut Acid, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Quillaja Saponaria Wood Extract, Sodium Isethionate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
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 GlycerinSodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateWater. 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
