What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Honey
Humectant
Yogurt Extract
Skin ConditioningAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Trichilia Emetica Seed Butter
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyquaternium-11
Vp/Va Copolymer
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Honey, Yogurt Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Trichilia Emetica Seed Butter, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-11, Vp/Va Copolymer, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningVp/Va Copolymer
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hemp Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningRibes Nigrum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Lentinus Edodes Extract
Skin ConditioningPsidium Guajava Fruit Extract
AstringentBrassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
HumectantCucurbita Pepo Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningOpuntia Tuna Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Laurtrimonium Chloride
Emulsifying
Sodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Vp/Va Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrolyzed Hemp Seed Extract, Ribes Nigrum Fruit Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract, Opuntia Tuna Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Panthenol, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Laurtrimonium Chloride, Sodium Bisulfite, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol
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 AcidCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilPhenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateVP/VA Copolymer is a synthetic polymer made by joining two smaller molecules (vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate) into a larger chain.
It is mainly used as a film-former and fixing agent. When a product dries, it creates a thin and flexible layer on the skin, hair, or nails. This film helps hold hairstyles into place, adds a smooth feel to skin, and traps moisture to reduce dryness.
Irritation is rare at normal concentrations and it doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
Learn more about Vp/Va CopolymerWater. 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
