What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-8
HumectantTea-Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingMaltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningDisodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentane
SolventCitric Acid
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Prunus Persica Extract
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCrambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Water, PEG-8, Tea-Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Cyclodextrin, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Glycolipids, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentane, Citric Acid, Serine, Prunus Persica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Citrate, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Maltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantPentane
SolventLactobionic Acid
Buffering
Kaolin
Abrasive
Serine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPolyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Royal Jelly Protein
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Pentane, Lactobionic Acid, Kaolin, Serine, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Sodium Citrate, Polyquaternium-51, Hydrolyzed Royal Jelly Protein
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCitric 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 GlycerinHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate is a made up of a mixture of sugar alcohols (like sorbitol) and is created by hydrogenating corn, wheat, or potato starch.
It acts as a humectant and draws water to the skin to keep it hydrated. Generally, this is a well-tolerated and non-irritating ingredient.
We don't have a description for Maltooligosyl Glucoside yet.
We don't have a description for Pentane yet.
Polyquaternium-51 is a polymer salt. It helps hydrate the skin by creating a film on top. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Serine is a non-essential amino acid (your body makes it on its own!). It is a major player in your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Serine is one of your NMF's most abundant components that works as a skin-identical humectant. Its hydroxyl group grabs onto water molecules to boost hydration without any heaviness or occlusion.
Research on a hydrogel with serine confirmed this serine got delivered to your stratum corneum and demonstrated enhanced skin moisturization.
Interestingly serine also helps your skin produce filaggrin, a protein that keeps your skin barrier strong and used to create collagen.
Learn more about SerineSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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
