What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Alpinia Speciosa Flower/Leaf/Stem Water
AntimicrobialPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Pvp, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Glycerin, Alpinia Speciosa Flower/Leaf/Stem Water, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Ceramide AP, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyimide-1
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Psilanthus Bengalensis Leaf Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Water, Polyimide-1, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Parfum, Citric Acid, Psilanthus Bengalensis Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Niacinamide, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Citronellol, Citral, Eugenol
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.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
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 GlycerinWater. 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
