What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Malic Acid
Buffering
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Succinoglycan
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantPEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate
Emollient
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
PEG-20 Glyceryl Isostearate
Surfactant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Crataegus Monogyna Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Malic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Citrus Limon Juice
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-8 Glyceryl Isostearate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Triethanolamine
BufferingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin, PEG-8, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, PEG-20 Glyceryl Isostearate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Crataegus Monogyna Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Niacinamide, Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Malic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Juice, Butylene Glycol, PEG-8 Glyceryl Isostearate, Carbomer, Ferulic Acid, Water, Lactic Acid, Triethanolamine, Salicylic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they don’t penetrate as deeply. This means they’re less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skin’s microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the product’s pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidMalic Acid is an acid with both AHA and BHA properties, but is considered an AHA because its AHA properties are stronger.
It can be naturally found in unripe fruit and especially apples (its name from the latin word "malum", meaning apple!).
Like other AHAs, malic acid gently removes the top layer of dead skin cells to reveal smoother, brighter skin underneath.
Though it’s considered milder and less potent than glycolic or lactic acid, it can help improve:
Due to its larger molecular structure, it penetrates the skin more slowly and is often used in combination with other AHAs to enhance their overall effectiveness.
Malic acid often plays a role in balancing a product’s pH and is usually included in small amounts (around 1-2%) as a supporting exfoliant.
As with all exfoliating acids, you should wear sunscreen daily when using malic acid to protect your newly resurfaced skin.
Fun fact: Malic acid is the compound responsible for the tart flavor of apples and other sour fruits.
While research on malic acid is limited compared to glycolic or lactic acid, it’s still a safe and mild exfoliant.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Malic AcidPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPyrus Malus Fruit Extract is extract from Apples. Apples are rich in Vitamin C, sugars, and antioxidants.
The sugar in Apples are humectants and help hydrate the skin. On top of that, apples also contain some acids, such as malic acid. These acids may have a mild exfoliating effect.
Last, the phytochemicals found in apples are strong antioxidants. These antioxidants help with anti-aging as they protect your skin cells against oxidative damage.
Learn more about Pyrus Malus Fruit ExtractWater. 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
