What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-8
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Polyquaternium-7
PEG-90m
Emulsion StabilisingPEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sericin
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Silica
Abrasive
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 61570
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, PEG-8, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Beeswax, Polyquaternium-7, PEG-90m, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sericin, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Silica, BHT, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, CI 17200, CI 15985, CI 61570
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingPEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
Tetrasodium EDTA
Menthol
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
PEG-20 Glyceryl Isostearate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, PEG-8, Alcohol Denat., Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Coconut Acid, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Menthol, Sodium PCA, PEG-20 Glyceryl Isostearate, Butylene Glycol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Ubiquinone, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCitric 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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPEG-8 is a synthetic polymer used as a humectant and solvent.
This ingredient is able to help dissolve active ingredients, including water. This gives it humectant properties.
It is soluble in water. The number '8' stands for the molecular weight of the ingredient.
Learn more about PEG-8Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
