What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
PEG-6
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientMethylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingParfum
Masking
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Erythritol
Humectant
PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningTremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Potassium Cocoyl Glutamate
Surfactant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Linalool
Perfuming
Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Magnesium Chloride
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Calcium Chloride
AstringentSerine
Masking
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Zingiber Aromaticus Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citrus Junos Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, PEG-6, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Parfum, Alcohol, Erythritol, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Potassium Cocoyl Glutamate, Citric Acid, Linalool, Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Citronellol, Geraniol, Magnesium Chloride, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Calcium Chloride, Serine, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Zingiber Aromaticus Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Citrus Junos Seed Extract
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 AcidDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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
