What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Polyquaternium-10
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientTetrasodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, 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
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glutamate
Surfactant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Maltitol
HumectantLauramidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingGlycereth-26
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Surfactant
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Persica Leaf Extract
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-75 Dilaurate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Potassium Cocoyl Glutamate, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Pentylene Glycol, Maltitol, Lauramidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycereth-26, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Ceramide Ng, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Serine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, PEG-75 Dilaurate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol
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 GlycerinTocopherol 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 TocopherolWater. 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
