What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Vinegar
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cocos Nucifera Water
Masking
Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Tetraselmis Suecica Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningPEG-5 Ethylhexanoate
EmulsifyingTrideceth-9
EmulsifyingMannitol
Humectant
Polyquaternium-10
Acrylates Crosspolymer-4
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-4
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
Emulsifying
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Citric Acid, Glycol Distearate, Vinegar, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cocos Nucifera Water, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Tetraselmis Suecica Extract, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, PEG-5 Ethylhexanoate, Trideceth-9, Mannitol, Polyquaternium-10, Acrylates Crosspolymer-4, Laureth-4, Glycerin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate
CleansingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Croton Zambesicus Powder
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Curcumin
Antioxidant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-7
Polyquaternium-10
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Croton Zambesicus Powder, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Curcumin, Decyl Glucoside, Panthenol, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 AcidCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinPolyquaternium-10 is an ammonium salt of hydroxyethylcellulose. It is a white and granular powder used as a film-former and anti-static agent.
This ingredient is commonly found in hair conditioning products. According to a manufacturer, its positive charge makes it great for absorbing hair proteins. The manufacturer also states this ingredient helps with curl retention.
For haircare friends: this ingredient is not a silicone.
Learn more about Polyquaternium-10Sodium 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 SulfonateWater. 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
