What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingAlpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Phytate
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Fomes Officinalis Extract
Skin ProtectingSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientSodium Glycolate
BufferingOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicTocopherol
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Polysorbate 20, Cellulose Gum, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Mandelic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Coconut Acid, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Alpha-Arbutin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Fomes Officinalis Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Sodium Glycolate, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
Glycerin
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Triethanolamine
BufferingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Laureth-13 Carboxylate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-10
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Benzalkonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
BHT
Antioxidant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Triethanolamine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Mandelic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Panthenol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, PEG-150 Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Laureth-13 Carboxylate, Sodium Chloride, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Polyquaternium-10, Polysorbate 20, Benzalkonium Chloride, BHT, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cocamidopropyl 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 GlycerinMandelic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA).
Like other AHAs, it helps exfoliate the surface of the skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
Mandelic acid helps with:
Due to it having a larger molecular size than glycolic acid, mandelic acid is able to penetrate the skin more slowly and evenly. This makes it gentler and less irritating, making it a great option for sensitive or beginner skin.
Despite being milder, mandelic acid is still an effective exfoliant that improves skin texture and tone over time.
What makes mandelic acid stand out from other AHAs? It has antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
These traits make it a great option for acne-prone or problem skin by reducing active breakouts and fading post-acne marks. Studies show that mandelic acid (especially when combined with salicylic acid) can significantly reduce pimples and hyperpigmentation while causing fewer side effects than stronger acids.
Mandelic acid is effective in concentrations of 5% and up with an ideal pH range of 3-4 for at-home use.
Like other AHAs, it’s important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your newly exfoliated skin.
However, unlike glycolic acid, mandelic acid is light-sensitive. Be sure your mandelic acid is packaged in opaque containers to ensure it stays stable and effective.
In short, mandelic acid is a gentle yet powerful AHA that exfoliates, brightens, and helps clarify skin while keeping irritation low. Its antibacterial action makes it especially beneficial for those with acne-prone, sensitive, or uneven skin, offering smoother, clearer, and more even-toned results over time.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Mandelic AcidPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Chances 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
