What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropylamine Oxide
Cleansing
Acrylates/Aminoacrylates/C10-30 Alkyl PEG-20 Itaconate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDi-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate
Emollient
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingThreonine
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
Masking
Histidine
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropylamine Oxide, Acrylates/Aminoacrylates/C10-30 Alkyl PEG-20 Itaconate Copolymer, Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Threonine, Proline, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Histidine, Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Lees Extract
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Arginine, Potassium Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Coco-Glucoside, Oryza Sativa Lees Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineCitric 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 GlycerinSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a surfactant that helps water and oil mix so that dirt, sweat, sebum, and sunscreen can rinse away easily. It's not technically a sulfate, but behaves similarly in formulas.
What it does:
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a strong cleansing surfactant and is much stronger than many mild cleansers. Because it works deeply, it can disrupt the skin's barrier. This can lead to dryness or irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Compared to gentler surfactants, it's effective but more likely to dry or irritate if not balanced with soothing ingredients.
CIR considers sodium α-olefin sulfonates (including C14-16) to be safe for use in rinse-off products when properly formulated. It is poorly absorbed through normal skin but absorption increases if the skin barrier is already damaged.
Learn more about Sodium C14-16 Olefin SulfonateChances 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 ChlorideWater. 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
