What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Bioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Sideritis Scardica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Coco-Glucoside, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Propanediol, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Benzoic Acid, Bioflavonoids, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycol Distearate, Lactic Acid, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Panthenol, Parfum, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Sideritis Scardica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate
Cleansing
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Laureth-2
CleansingRhamnose
HumectantFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
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 AcidCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideGlyceryl Oleate is the monoester of glycerin and oleic acid. It is a skin-conditioning emollient that also helps form emulsions.
What makes glyceryl oleate special is its "re-fatting" effect.
When you wash your hair and skin with a surfactant-based cleanser, the surfactants grab onto everything. This includes your skin's natural lipids, or the fats that live in your skin barrier and sebum. Once you rinse these surfactants away, it leaves your skin feeling tight, dry, and clean (in a not-good way).
Re-fatting is essentially putting some of these lipids back. Glyceryl oleate deposits a thin layer of emollient lipids back on the skin or hair surface reduce some of the barrier damage.
Also, glyceryl oleate isn't a foreign molecule to your skin. It's chemically identical to something your skin already produces and manages naturally. This is why it tends to be well-tolerated with low risk of irritation.
Typical use levels range from 0.5-5%.
Glyceryl Oleate has a function of "perfuming" in the CosIng database. This just means that the ingredient has some scent character that can contribute to the product's overall smell.
The scent of this ingredient is described as "waxy".
As an ester of oleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. This is because oleic acid falls into the carbon-chain length that Malassezia can use as a substrate.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleatePropanediol 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
