What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Sodium Coco-Glucoside Tartrate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Amaranth Protein
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Prunus Serotina Bark Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingYucca Schidigera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningLitchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil
Astringent
Prunus Avium Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Cerasus Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Epigallocatechin Gallate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Coco-Glucoside Tartrate, Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Amaranth Protein, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Gluconolactone, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Prunus Serotina Bark Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Yucca Schidigera Root Extract, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil, Prunus Avium Fruit Extract, Prunus Cerasus Fruit Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Alcohol, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Sorbitol, PEG-8, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycereth-26, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
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 GlycerinSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
