What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Citric Acid, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Phytate
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Abies Sibirica Oil
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Water, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Coco-Glucoside, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Niacinamide, Tocopherol, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Phytate, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Abies Sibirica Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
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 AcidThis oil is derived from the leaves of Eucalyptus Globulus, a type of Eucalyptus tree native to Australia.
Though this oil shows antibacterial and antioxidant activity, it is also a known skin-irritant due to its fragrance components.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
