What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Methylsilanol Mannuronate
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Fructose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Inositol
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Pantolactone
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Methylsilanol Mannuronate, Panthenol, Betaine, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Glycine, Fructose, Urea, Niacinamide, Inositol, Lactic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Pantolactone
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearates
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Palmitate/Succinate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Squalane
Emollient
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Behenate
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingDimethicone
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Urea, Sodium Chloride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearates, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-6 Palmitate/Succinate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lactic Acid, Squalane, Behenic Acid, Cetyl Behenate, Isostearyl Isostearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidDehydroacetic Acid is fungicide and bactericide. It is used as a preservative in cosmetics. Preservatives help elongate the shelf life of a product.
Dehydroacetic Acid is not soluble in water.
Lactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidPhenoxyethanol 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.
Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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
