What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Sulfate
Betaine
Humectant
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Coco-Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLinalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Water, Citric Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Sulfate, Betaine, Charcoal Powder, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Lecithin, Sodium Hydroxide, Linalool, Limonene, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingPolyglyceryl-2 Caprate
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Coco-Glucoside
CleansingLevulinic Acid
Perfuming
P-Anisic Acid
MaskingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Polysorbate 20, Coco-Glucoside, Levulinic Acid, P-Anisic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Citric Acid
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 AcidCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
