What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Isethionate
EmulsifyingSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantParfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingTetrasodium EDTA
Zinc Laurate
Limonene
Perfuming
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Polyquaternium-7
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Linalool
Perfuming
Magnesium Nitrate
Citral
Perfuming
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Lecithin
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Magnesium Chloride
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
CI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Methyl Isethionate, Synthetic Wax, Dipropylene Glycol, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Zinc Laurate, Limonene, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Polyquaternium-7, Benzophenone-4, Amyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citric Acid, Linalool, Magnesium Nitrate, Citral, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Methylisothiazolinone, Maltodextrin, CI 73360, CI 77891, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Capryl/Capramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetrimonium Bromide
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Cucumis Sativus Juice
EmollientCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Prunus Persica Fruit Extract
Abrasive
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
Astringent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phosphoric Acid
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Capryl/Capramidopropyl Betaine, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Cetrimonium Bromide, Glycerin, Cucumis Sativus Juice, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Phosphoric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Sulfite, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid
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 AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinChances 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 Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
