What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Calcium Chloride
AstringentSerine
Masking
Oligopeptide-22
Skin Conditioning
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Chloride
Alanine
Masking
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Magnesium Chloride
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Lysine
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Acetate
BufferingThreonine
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingZinc Acetate
AntimicrobialPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycine, Calcium Chloride, Serine, Oligopeptide-22, Copper Gluconate, Potassium Chloride, Alanine, Magnesium Aspartate, Glucose, Proline, Arginine, Magnesium Chloride, Zinc Gluconate, Lysine, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Acetate, Threonine, Glutamic Acid, Sodium PCA, Sorbitol, Propanediol, Sodium Chloride, Zinc Acetate, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningSea Silt Extract
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Magnesium PCA
Humectant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Manganese PCA
HumectantPolylysine
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Water
TonicNymphaea Caerulea Flower Water
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-2
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Sea Silt Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Magnesium PCA, Zinc PCA, Sodium PCA, Manganese PCA, Polylysine, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Water, Nymphaea Caerulea Flower Water, Biosaccharide Gum-2, Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, 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 AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinSodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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
