What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAvena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Bacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Bacillus Ferment, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
C13-15 Alkane
SolventNiacinamide
Smoothing
Undecane
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tridecane
Perfuming
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingLactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningMyristyl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenylpropanol
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Propanediol, C13-15 Alkane, Niacinamide, Undecane, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Tridecane, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Lauryl Glucoside, Chlorphenesin, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Sodium Benzoate, Levulinic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Myristyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Phenylpropanol, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide
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 AcidChances 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 ChlorideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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
