What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cupressus Sempervirens Branch/Leaf Oil
Masking
Citrus Latifolia Peel Oil
Masking
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocamide Mipa
Emulsifying
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Glucoside, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cupressus Sempervirens Branch/Leaf Oil, Citrus Latifolia Peel Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Cocamide Mipa, O-Cymen-5-Ol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingInulin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Sorbitan Caprylate
EmulsifyingSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Fructose
Humectant
Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Oil
Masking
Boswellia Neglecta Resin Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Citrate
BufferingHydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Antioxidant
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Inulin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Levulinate, Gluconolactone, Glyceryl Oleate, Sorbitan Caprylate, Sodium Anisate, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Phytate, Fructose, Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Oil, Boswellia Neglecta Resin Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Maltodextrin, Sodium Citrate, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Citric Acid
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 AcidCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinSaccharide Isomerate comes from sugars found in corn. It is a skin hydrator.
The structure of this ingredient can be altered to be more similar to the carbohydrates found in our skin. This ability to mimic our skin gives it hydrating properties.
Specifically, saccharide Isomerate is a humectant. Humectants draw moisture from the air to our skin.
Research shows Saccharide Isomerate to be an effective moisturizer.
Learn more about Saccharide IsomerateWater. 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
