What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPapain
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract
AstringentCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingMalus Domestica Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCoptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Chloride, Papain, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Glucose, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Potassium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
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
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 AcidCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract is more commonly known as the bitter orange. Native to Southeast Asia, this extract is commonly found in both cosmetics and foods.
The bitter orange possesses antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
It can also be mildly exfoliating due to the citric acid, an AHA.
Citrus fruits are rich in flavonoids, alkaloids, and vitamin C.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit ExtractDisodium 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.
Hexylene 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 GlycolPapain is an enzyme found naturally in the papaya plant's leaves, fruit, and roots. It has antimicrobial, soothing, and wound healing properties.
Glycine and Vitamin A are naturally found in papain.
While papain is often touted as skin-lightening, further studies are needed to prove this. However, papain has been shown to help soothe acne-inflammation.
Papain belongs to a class of enzymes called proteolytic enzymes. These enzymes break down peptides and amino acids.
Some studies found papain to be a potential skin sensitizer and allergen. Those with latex allergies might also be allergic to papaya.
Learn more about PapainWater. 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
