What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-32
HumectantStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Mannan
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolyquaternium-7
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentLactose
HumectantSucrose
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
PEG-14m
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-45m
HumectantSodium Benzoate
Masking
CI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Lactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment
Skin ProtectingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Mannitol
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPhyllostachys Bambusoides Juice
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Tetrasodium EDTA
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Citrate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicWater, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, PEG-32, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Parfum, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Mannan, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-7, Zea Mays Starch, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Lactose, Sucrose, Disodium EDTA, PEG-14m, PEG-45m, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77289, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Lactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, CI 77891, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Mannitol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Phyllostachys Bambusoides Juice, Silica, Tetrasodium EDTA, Lactic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, CI 77491, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phosphatidylcholine, BHT, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, CI 77492, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Biotin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBetaine
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPulsatilla Koreana Extract
Skin ConditioningUsnea Barbata Extract
Aspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Betaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Mandelic Acid, Oryza Sativa Extract, Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract, Butylene Glycol, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, Aspergillus Ferment, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Cyclodextrin, Beta-Glucan
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCitric 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 GlycerinChances 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
