What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Amaranth Protein
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingInulin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Cananga Odorata Flower Extract
Perfuming
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil
Astringent
Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Palmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Amaranth Protein, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Inulin, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Extract, Mentha Piperita Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil, Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate
SurfactantAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Laureth-4
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-10, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Glycol Distearate, Laureth-4, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium 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 HydroxideTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
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
