What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Sorbitol, PEG-8, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycereth-26, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMyristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingWater, Decyl Glucoside, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Gluconate, Panthenol, Zinc PCA, Xanthan Gum, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol
Reviews
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 AcidDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolWater. 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
