What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Maltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingSarcosine
Skin Conditioning
Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Decyl Glucoside, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Zinc PCA, Allantoin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Gluconolactone, Capryloyl Glycine, Sarcosine, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingPEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Cleansing
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Coceth Sulfate
Cleansing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingParfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Copper PCA
HumectantZinc PCA
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Butyl Avocadate
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCI 74260
Cosmetic ColorantBoswellia Serrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Coceth Sulfate, Salicylic Acid, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Gluconolactone, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Chlorphenesin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Copper PCA, Zinc PCA, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Butyl Avocadate, Dipropylene Glycol, CI 74260, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Gluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinSalicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is a well-known ingredient for treating skin that struggles with acne and clogged pores. It exfoliates both the skin's surface and deep within the pores to help clear out buildup, control oil, and reduce inflammation.
Unlike AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble. This allows it to penetrate into pores which makes it especially effective for treating blackheads and preventing future breakouts.
Salicylic acid is also known for its soothing properties. It has a similar structure to aspirin and can calm inflamed or irritated skin, making it a good option for acne-prone skin that is also sensitive.
Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.
It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing this ingredient into your routine.
While salicylic acid does not increase sun sensitivity, it’s still important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin.
If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.
Learn more about Salicylic AcidSodium 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 WaterZinc PCA is a clever two-in-one molecule: the zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA).
Think of it as two useful things bonded together; the PCA half is one of your skin's own natural moisturizing factors (NMF) so it helps hold water in the upper layers. On the other hand, the zinc half does the heavy lifting on oil and bacteria.
The zinc part slows down an enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT, the hormone that tells your oil glands to pump out more sebum. Less of that signal means less oil. It also gently fights acne-causing bacteria and soothes redness/irritation.
This is why Zinc PCA often shows up in products for oily, breakout-prone skin and greasy scalps.
One lab study also hinted it might have a small anti-aging perk because it seemed to protect collagen from UVA damage and even helped the skin make a bit more of it. That last bit is still early research done in a dish and not real skin, so take it as a nice bonus rather than a promise for now.
As for scar healing, the picture is more "maybe" than a firm yes. Zinc itself plays a real role in wound repair because it is a cofactor for the enzymes involved in collagen building, calming inflammation, and helping new skin cells cover a wound. Lower zinc levels are also linked to slower healing.
Most of the scar healing research is on zinc oxide or oral zinc rather than zinc PCA specifically, with a focus on healing fresh wounds instead of scars that are already there.
Direct evidence that zinc PCA improves the look of established scars is still limited at this time. Though it would be fair to say zinc PCA supports the general skin-repair environment thanks to its zinc content .
This ingredient is water-soluble and plays nicely with other actives like niacinamide and salicylic acid. It works best at mildly acidic formulas (~4-6 pH) and is effective at low levels. Around 0.1% is enough to be active and finished products commonly use it anywhere up to 4%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-drama multitasker that suits oily and acne-prone skin.
Learn more about Zinc PCA
