What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Artemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-67
Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMalt Extract
Skin Protecting1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Coco-Betaine, Betaine, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Aspartic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-67, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Malt Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Madecassoside, Panthenol, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSalix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract
HumectantMicrocitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Microcitrus Australis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Chloride, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Microcitrus Australis Fruit Extract
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 AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
