What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Honey
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-60 Almond Glycerides
Emulsifying
Polyacrylamide
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Nonfat Dry Milk
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
PEG-50 Shea Butter
Emulsifying
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Stearyldimoniumhydroxypropyl Laurylglucosides Chloride
CleansingGlucose
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingWater, Decyl Glucoside, Honey, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Coco-Betaine, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Polyacrylamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Nonfat Dry Milk, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-50 Shea Butter, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Laureth-7, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Stearyldimoniumhydroxypropyl Laurylglucosides Chloride, Glucose, Lactic Acid, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Papain
Skin ConditioningBromelain
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Medica Limonum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingWater, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Lactic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate, Papain, Bromelain, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate is a surfactant and helps cleanse skin. It is created from the fatty acids of coconut oil.
Surfactants help rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants easily from skin. It has a faint fruit-like scent.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolLactic 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 AcidPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
