What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tricaprylin
Perfuming
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Betula Alba Juice
AstringentPropanediol
Solvent
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate
Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantAscorbylpropyl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantAscorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tricaprylin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Betula Alba Juice, Propanediol, Lactic Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Sorbate, Allantoin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Ascorbylpropyl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Gluconate
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Cynodon Dactylon Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingUndecylenoyl Glycine
CleansingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Trehalose, Xylitol, Glucose, Anhydroxylitol, Cynodon Dactylon Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Capryloyl Glycine, Undecylenoyl Glycine, Benzoic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
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 âglueâ 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 donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre 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 skinâs 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 productâs 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 AcidWater. 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
