What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC13-15 Alkane
SolventCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Polyquaternium-7
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, C13-15 Alkane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Squalane, Behentrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Bisabolol, Zea Mays Starch, Polyquaternium-7, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingGlycol Stearate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Hydrolyzed Silk
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Stearamide Amp
Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil
Emollient
Brassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Glycol Stearate, Parfum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Panthenol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Lauroyl Hydrolyzed Silk, Citric Acid, Stearamide Amp, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Sodium Phytate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Tocopherol, Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Glycine Soja Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethyl Citrate, Benzoic Acid
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 GlycerinThis ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChlorideSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
