What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPropanediol
SolventButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCellulose
AbsorbentCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPassiflora Edulis Seed Oil
EmollientPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingLavandula Hybrida Oil
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientCoriandrum Sativum Seed Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientZinc Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentSilica
AbrasiveAdenosine
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantSalicylic Acid
MaskingBenzoic Acid
MaskingCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantLinalool
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Squalane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cellulose, Cetearyl Glucoside, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Coriandrum Sativum Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Zinc Gluconate, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Silica, Adenosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Salicylic Acid, Benzoic Acid, CI 77007, Linalool, Geraniol, Citral, Citronellol
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingDimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Sodium Chloride
MaskingEvodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLavandula Hybrida Abrial Herb Oil
PerfumingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantLavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningFusanus Spicatus Wood Oil
MaskingPogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningHexanediol
SolventPolyurethane Crosspolymer-1
Limonene
PerfumingTocopherol
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingLinalool
PerfumingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Propanediol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Lavandula Hybrida Abrial Herb Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Dipropylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Sodium Citrate, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Hexanediol, Polyurethane Crosspolymer-1, Limonene, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Linalool, 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.
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 GlycerinLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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