What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Verbena Officinalis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningVetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil
Masking
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitrus Glauca Fruit Extract
HumectantMicrocitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Microcitrus Australis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Panax Quinquefolius Root Extract
AstringentSodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Verbena Officinalis Flower Extract, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Panthenol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hydroxide, Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Microcitrus Australis Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Panax Quinquefolius Root Extract, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingIngredients 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 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 SorbateSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is the salt of ascorbic acid.
This ingredient is commonly used in skincare because it's more formulation-stable while still offering the same benefits as pure ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and oxygen whereas SAP has been shown to be more stable.
Studies show SAP has anti-acne and antioxidant benefits. One study found 5% of SAP lotion to be an effective ingredient for treating acne vulgaris. This is because research shows that SAP may help control acne by reducing acne-causing bacteria and slowing the oxidation of skin oils caused by UV exposure.
In addition to acne, vitamin C is important for skin structure. Lab studies suggest SAP may support collagen production in skin cells, making it a great ingredient in anti-aging routines.
Vitamin C has many benefits: it helps reduce redness, improve skin texture, fade the appearance of dark spots, and brighten the skin.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Sodium Ascorbyl PhosphateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
