What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dicaprylyl Maleate
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Prunus Persica Kernel Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citronellol
Perfuming
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Geraniol
Perfuming
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Farnesol
Perfuming
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Maleate, Triethanolamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Prunus Persica Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Polysorbate 20, Tocopherol, Citronellol, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Geraniol, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Linalool, Citral, Limonene, Eugenol, Potassium Sorbate, Farnesol
Water
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Macadamia Integrifolia/Tetraphylla Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialCymbopogon Flexuosus Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia/Tetraphylla Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Lecithin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Gluconate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Cymbopogon Flexuosus Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil Expressed, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Citral, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citral is the molecule responsible for the fresh lemon scent in lemon, lime, and lemongrass. It is a fragrance ingredient that can be created from plant essential oils or synthetically.
Though Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1% so there's likely no skin benefit.
You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.
Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.
The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about CitralGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneTocopherol 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
