What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Polysorbate 20, Coco-Glucoside, Levulinic Acid, P-Anisic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice
Antioxidant
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Succinoglycan
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Glycereth-26, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Succinoglycan, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
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 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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Sodium 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
