What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Betaine
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylene Brassylate
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Maltose
MaskingSodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Coco-Glucoside, Acrylates Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 80, Betaine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylene Brassylate, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Fructose, Urea, Maltose, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Trehalose, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucose, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-90
HumectantCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPEG-14m
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-7
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Lactobionic Acid
Buffering
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Leucine
Skin ConditioningMethionine
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingGlycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Cysteine
Antioxidant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningTyrosine
MaskingThreonine
Phenylalanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Histidine
Humectant
Lysine
Skin ConditioningWater, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, PEG-90, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, PEG-14m, Disodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-7, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Benzoate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Lactobionic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Leucine, Methionine, Valine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Cysteine, Aspartic Acid, Alanine, Arginine, Isoleucine, Tyrosine, Threonine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Histidine, Lysine
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 BetaineEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolChances 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 ChlorideSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
