What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Kaolin
Abrasive
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates Copolymer
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Magnesium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Kaolin, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Magnesium Gluconate, Squalane, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Panthenol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, Betaine, Panthenol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Propanediol, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, 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 GlycerinGlycol Distearate serves as a pearlizing or opacifying agent in cosmetic products.
It's often included in cleansers and haircare products to give them a lustrous or shimmering appearance.
It is derived from stearic acid, a natural fatty acid commonly found in vegetable oils and animal fats.
Glycol Distearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearatePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Chances 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 ChlorideTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.
Water. 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
