What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingHeliotropine
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-10
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Heliotropine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Polyquaternium-10, Coconut Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether
SolventCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingMethyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether
SolventHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Malic Acid
Buffering
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Magnesium Silicate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Malic Acid, Bisabolol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Ethyl Macadamiate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Xanthan Gum, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Decylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Magnesium Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWe don't have a description for Sodium Cocoamphoacetate yet.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
