What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
MaskingThreonine
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin ConditioningLysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
BufferingUrea
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Fructose
Humectant
Maltose
MaskingTrehalose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Serine, Glycine, Alanine, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Lysine Hcl, Glutamic Acid, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Betaine, Allantoin, Fructose, Maltose, Trehalose, Glucose, Pentylene Glycol, Synthetic Beeswax, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Hexyldecanol
Emollient
Hexyldecyl Laurate
EmollientTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Cera Alba
Emollient
Zinc Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Fructose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Inositol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBrassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Sulfate
Parfum
Masking
Ceresin
Emulsion StabilisingLactic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hexyldecanol, Hexyldecyl Laurate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Cera Alba, Zinc Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Glycine, Fructose, Urea, Niacinamide, Inositol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Magnesium Sulfate, Parfum, Ceresin, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Sulfite, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinThis ingredient is an amino acid that helps build proteins and moisturizes skin. It is already present in our skin as our bodies produce them naturally.
Glycine already plays a role in helping keep our skin moisturized as amino acids transport moisture throughout our skin.
As collagen is made up of glycine and other amino acids, it is believed glycine may help our skin produce more collagen.
Learn more about GlycineSodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.
This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.
High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.
Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.
Learn more about Sodium LactateSodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCAUrea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
