What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Fructose
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Avena Sativa Leaf Extract
AstringentSaccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose
Absorbent
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Potassium Lactate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Propylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Inulin, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Maltodextrin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Fructose, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Avena Sativa Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Cellulose, Cellulose Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Potassium Lactate, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChondrus Crispus Powder
Abrasive
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phytic Acid
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Acetyl Glucosamine, Propylene Glycol, Kojic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glycerin, Cholesterol, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Alcohol, Citric Acid, Phytic 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 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 GlycerinMaltodextrin is a plant-derived carbohydrate made by breaking down starch (usually from corn, potato, or rice). In cosmetic formulas, it's a multitasking absorbent, emulsion stabilizer, and skin conditioner.
This ingredient is mostly used to stabilize emulsions and improve the powdery, non-greasy feel of products (like dry shampoos).
Safety-wise, this ingredient is pretty solid; it's even recognized as a food additive. Both animal and clinical studies found no adverse effects at the levels used in cosmetics.
Industry data shows this ingredient is used up to 45.7% in spray products and up to 33% in powder products.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
