What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Triticum Vulgare/Aestivum Grain Extract
Skin ConditioningCrambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Bidens Pilosa Extract
HumectantSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Rosa Damascena Extract
MaskingGossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Xanthophylls
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Cetyl Phosphate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Squalane, Cetyl Alcohol, Arginine, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Triticum Vulgare/Aestivum Grain Extract, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Sclerotium Gum, Parfum, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Dehydroacetic Acid, Rosa Damascena Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Zea Mays Oil, Xanthophylls, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
C12-13 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientShea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAnhydroxylitol
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Xylitol
Humectant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Malic Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Panthenol, Xylitylglucoside, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Anhydroxylitol, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Xylitol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citric Acid, Malic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dehydroacetic Acid is fungicide and bactericide. It is used as a preservative in cosmetics. Preservatives help elongate the shelf life of a product.
Dehydroacetic Acid is not soluble in water.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
It is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.
As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.
In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateLactic 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 AcidSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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. 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
