What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientHydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningCaulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Polyquaternium-10
Parfum
Masking
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Sodium Sulfate
Trehalose
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
Emulsifying
PPG-9
Skin ConditioningMethylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Polyquaternium-10, Parfum, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Gluconolactone, Glycerin, DMDM Hydantoin, Sodium Sulfate, Trehalose, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Sodium Benzoate, Cocamide Mea, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, PPG-9, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamide Methyl Mea
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Escin
TonicBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicHydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Rhus Semialata Gall Extract
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Typha Angustifolia Spike Extract
Skin ConditioningCinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract
Masking
Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningLithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPopulus Nigra Bark/Bud/Leaf/Twig Extract
Skin ConditioningOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSalvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Atractylodes Japonica Rhizome Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Saposhnikovia Divaricata Root Extract
AntimicrobialSesamum Indicum Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Gigas Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Leucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Cysteine
Antioxidant
Methionine
Skin ConditioningMenthol
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyquaternium-7
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Polyquaternium-22
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPEG-Crosspolymer
Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride/Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Tetrasodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Zein
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
Emollient
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Cocamide Methyl Mea, Sodium Chloride, Adenosine, Escin, Biotin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Caffeine, Hyaluronic Acid, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Retinol, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Typha Angustifolia Spike Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Populus Nigra Bark/Bud/Leaf/Twig Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Atractylodes Japonica Rhizome Extract, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Saposhnikovia Divaricata Root Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Menthol, Panthenol, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Polyquaternium-7, Glyceryl Oleate, Polyquaternium-22, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, PEG-Crosspolymer, Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride/Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Coco-Glucoside, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Caramel, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Butylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Hexylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Zein, Cholesterol, Sorbitan Oleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol
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 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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or '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 by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate is an emulsifier, thickener, and mild conditioner.
It's made by esterifying and pentaerythritol with stearic acid, and then attaching 150 units of ethylene oxide to make it water-friendly.
This structure lets it bridge oil and water to prevent ingredients from separating and keep formulas stable. It is also the reason it gives cosmetics a creamy feel without the greasiness.
The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be well-tolerated. Human repeated patch testing on the undiluted version has come back negative for irritation and sensitization. On top of that, its large molecule size makes skin penetration unlikely.
Usage concentration ranges from 5% in rinse-off to 1.8% in leave-on formulas.
Because this ingredient is derived from stearic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl TetrastearateWe don't have a description for PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide yet.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateChances 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
