What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Malic Acid
Buffering
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Medica Fruit Juice Extract
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Sucrose, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Water, Propylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Leaf Extract, Citrus Medica Fruit Juice Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicSodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Valine
MaskingProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Glycereth-2 Cocoate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Kaolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Biotin, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Potassium Sorbate, Glycereth-2 Cocoate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
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 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbatePropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
