This mild foaming cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped.
This mild gel cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
CleansingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
ChelatingParfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Oleate, Polysorbate 20, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Parfum, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningDiatomaceous Earth
Abrasive
Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids
Foam Boosting
Glycerin
Humectant
Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer
Acrylates Copolymer
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingLithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate
AbsorbentPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Limonene
Perfuming
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium EDTA
Chelating1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocotrienols
Skin Conditioning
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Trilinolein
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Nitrate
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Magnesium Chloride
Water, Diatomaceous Earth, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Glycerin, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Acrylates Copolymer, Decyl Glucoside, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Lauryl Glucoside, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Polysorbate 20, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Limonene, Decylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Tetrasodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocotrienols, Triolein, Trilinolein, Magnesium Nitrate, Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Glucoside (AA-2G) is one of the most stable vitamin C derivatives out there.
It's made by attaching a glucose molecule to ascorbic acid; this glucose "cap" shields the vitamin C from air, light, heat, and metal ions that normally cause pure ascorbic acid to oxidize.
Once on your skin, the enzyme alpha-glucosidase snips off the glucose and gradually releases active ascorbic acid right where it's needed. Basically, it behaves like a slow-release pro-vitamin C with less of a stinging that high-strength ascorbic acid can cause.
The research supports the classic vitamin C benefits as well. In lab and human studies, AA-2G slowed down the skin's production of melanin (the pigment behind dark spots) and helped shield skin cells against sun damage better than ascorbyl phosphate.
These studies also showed AA-2G released vitamin C over a longer period.
A frequently cited manufacturer trial found that a 2% AA-2G face cream significantly improved wrinkle depth and skin roughness after 45 days.
And in 2009, a clinical trial showed it meaningfully lightened dark patches on the gums compared to a placebo.
There's also collagen-synthesis support (since vitamin C is a required cofactor for that) and an antioxidant effect too.
Typical usage is usually between 0.5-5% and most studies/products land around 2%.
AA-2G performs best when formulated at a mildly acidic pH (~5-7) which is much gentler than the pH that pure vitamin C demands (~2.5-3.5).
Just one thing worth knowing: the in-skin conversation rate is only about 55-60% by weight. So a 5% AA-2G product delivers roughly 2.75-3% of actual active vitamin C. On top of that, skin absorption is relatively low because the ingredient is water-soluble.
Learn more about Ascorbyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinLauryl Glucoside sugar- and lipid-based cleansing agent. It is created from glucose and lauryl alcohol.
This ingredient is a surfactant, making it easier to rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants away.
A British study found lauryl glucoside to cause skin sensitivity for some people. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Other names for this ingredient include "Lauryl Polyglucose", "Lauryl glycoside", and "D-Glucopyranoside".
Learn more about Lauryl GlucosideLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimonenePolysorbate 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 HydroxideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
