What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
C13-15 Alkane
SolventSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract
Masking
Gardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract
Cosmetic ColorantHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Jasminum Officinale Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate
EmollientGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Lauryl Glucoside, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Decyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract, Gardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Jasminum Officinale Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Gluconate, Glyceryl Oleate, Pentylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate, 2,3-Butanediol, Maltodextrin, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Propanediol, Cellulose Gum, Stearic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool
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 AcidDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl 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 GlycerinLauryl Glucoside sugar- and lipid-based cleansing agent. It is created from glucose and lauryl alcohol.
This ingredient is a surfactant, making it easier to rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants away.
A British study found lauryl glucoside to cause skin sensitivity for some people. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Other names for this ingredient include "Lauryl Polyglucose", "Lauryl glycoside", and "D-Glucopyranoside".
Learn more about Lauryl GlucosidePentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilThis is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium GluconateTocopherol 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 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
