What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Potassium Laureth Phosphate
EmulsifyingSodium C14-18 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingTrehalose
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Sulfate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningFructose
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Laureth Phosphate, Sodium C14-18 Olefin Sulfonate, Trehalose, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Sodium PCA, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Inulin, Decylene Glycol, Saccharide Isomerate, Niacinamide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Sulfate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Fructose, Propylene Glycol, 2,3-Butanediol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceramide As, Cholesterol, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phytic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycol Stearate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Phytic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
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 BetaineWe don't have a description for Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate yet.
Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateMethyl Gluceth-20 is a humectant. Humectants help draw moisture from the air to your skin.
It is created by combining polyethylene glycol with glucose.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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
