What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingPEG-75
HumectantAcrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate
CleansingPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventPyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSalix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Forsythia Suspensa Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSodium Chloride
MaskingCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, PEG-75, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Dimethyl Sulfone, Pyridoxine Hcl, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Forsythia Suspensa Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sodium Chloride, Copper Tripeptide-1, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingKaolin
Abrasive
Aluminum Magnesium Oxide
AbsorbentStearic Acid
Cleansing
Bentonite
Absorbent
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Carrageenan
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Oleate
Emulsifying
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Surfactin
CleansingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Propanediol
Solvent
Xylitol
Humectant
Erythritol
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylose
HumectantUrea
Buffering
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Hydrolysate
HumectantAlanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningCoffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Rhamnose
HumectantCreatine
Skin ConditioningCirsium Eriophorum Callus Extract
AstringentRubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucuronic Acid
Buffering
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Kaolin, Aluminum Magnesium Oxide, Stearic Acid, Bentonite, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Bisabolol, Parfum, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Benzoic Acid, Glucose, Sodium Surfactin, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrin, Propanediol, Xylitol, Erythritol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylose, Urea, Papain, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Alanine, Glycine, Magnesium Aspartate, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Rhamnose, Creatine, Cirsium Eriophorum Callus Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Glucuronic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid
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 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 ChlorideWater. 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
