What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Styrene/Vp Copolymer
Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycosphingolipids
EmollientGlucosyl Ceramide
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract, Glycosphingolipids, Glucosyl Ceramide, Alpha-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 80, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ascorbyl Palmitate Phosphate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Glutathione
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningArbutin
Antioxidant
Cerebrosides
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Lemongrass Oil
Juniperus Mexicana Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Lecithin
Emollient
Glucosylrutin
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Tripropylene Glycol
Antioxidant
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingEtidronic Acid
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Trisodium Ascorbyl Palmitate Phosphate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinol, Hydrogenated Retinol, Glutathione, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glycine Soja Sterols, Ceramide NP, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Arbutin, Cerebrosides, Butylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Lecithin, Glucosylrutin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentylene Glycol, BHT, Tripropylene Glycol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Hydroxide, Etidronic Acid
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 GlycerinSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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
