What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingGlycol Distearate
EmollientSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Polyquaternium-10
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientTetrasodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingGlutamic Acid
HumectantPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Citric Acid, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Coco-Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Polyquaternium-10, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Phytosterols, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCoco-Glucoside
CleansingArtemisia Annua Extract
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingBetula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingQuillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Glucoside
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Coco-Glucoside, Artemisia Annua Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Disodium EDTA, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Ascorbic 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.
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-GlucosideGlycerin (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 Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylateLauryl Hydroxysultaine is a mild surfactant or cleansing ingredient that helps lift away dirt/oil, boost foam, and thicken the formula. It plays nicely with other surfactants and stays stable across a wide pH range.
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