What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingPEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Cleansing
Triethanolamine
BufferingSodium Chloride
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Distearyl Ether
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Laureth-2
CleansingSqualane
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Lauryl Glucoside, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Triethanolamine, Sodium Chloride, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, Distearyl Ether, Sodium Benzoate, Laureth-2, Squalane, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Persea Gratissima Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Distearyl Phthalic Acid Amide
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingMenthol
Masking
Sodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Chromium Hydroxide Green
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Distearyl Phthalic Acid Amide, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Kojic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Menthol, Sodium Bisulfite, Disodium EDTA, Chromium Hydroxide Green, Butylene Glycol
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 AcidCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineHexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.
As a surfactant, Hexylene Glycol helps gather dirt and oil on your skin to be washed away.
As an emulsifier, Hexylene Glycol helps keep water and oil together. This prevents them from separating in a product. Hexylene Glycol also thins out the texture of a product by lessening viscosity.
Hexylene Glycol has a small molecular weight.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.
The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.
Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
