What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Cocos Nucifera Water
Masking
Isosorbide Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingHexamethylindanopyran
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Oleate, Coco-Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Cocos Nucifera Water, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Sodium Chloride, Hexamethylindanopyran, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Benzyl Salicylate
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate
EmulsifyingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Colloidal Oatmeal, Tocopherol, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate
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-GlucosideDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Oleate is the ester of glycerin and oleic acid. This ingredient is mainly an emollient and emulsifier.
Emollients soften and hydrate the skin by creating a thin film on top to trap in moisture. As an emulsifier, glyceryl oleate helps stabilize formulations by preventing ingredients such as oil and water from separating. According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps helps thicken water-in-oil formulations, shower gels, and hair shampoos.
In some products, this ingredient may be used as a fragrance / perfuming ingredient. The scent of this ingredient is described to be "waxy".
Glyceryl oleate is created from oils rich in oleic acid, such as peanut oil and olive oil.
This ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleateHydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate isn't fungal acne safe.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Jojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilTocopherol 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 TocopherolTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.
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
