What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningSucrose Stearate
EmollientSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Coconut Alcohol
Emollient
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Polyglutamic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract, Sucrose Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopherol, Propanediol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Glucoside, Coconut Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSorbic Acid
Preservative
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLimonene
Perfuming
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-15
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicWater, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Sorbitan Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Dimethicone, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Coco-Glucoside, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Sorbic Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Limonene, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-15, Biotin
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 AcidCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateWater. 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
