What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Acrylates Copolymer
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butter
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Mannose
HumectantPolyquaternium-11
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingStyrene
Perfuming
Vitreoscilla Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Coco-Betaine, Polysorbate 20, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Niacinamide, Acrylates Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butter, Citric Acid, Cocamide Mea, Disodium EDTA, Mannose, Polyquaternium-11, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Styrene, Vitreoscilla Ferment
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Zinc Coceth Sulfate
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Glycerin, Zinc Coceth Sulfate, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
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 GlycerinPeg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate is created from polyethylene glycol and fatty acids from coconut oil.
It is a synthetic polymer with emulsifying and cleansing properties.
As an emulsifier, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate prevents ingredients such as oils and water from separating. It also helps rinse away oils, dirt, and pollutants from skin.
Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate may not be fungal acne safe. It can also dry out skin.
Learn more about PEG-7 Glyceryl CocoateSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateChances 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 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
