What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Grandis Seed Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Citrus Medica Peel Oil
Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract
EmollientPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Citrus Medica Peel Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Juice
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Limon Juice
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Juice
Antioxidant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingAcer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningTaraxacum Officinale Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Phytate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil
Astringent
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Masking
Cinnamomum Camphora Wood Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Juice, Decyl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Limon Juice, Vitis Vinifera Juice, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora Wood Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
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 AcidCitrus Grandis Peel Oil is an essential oil that is derived from the peel of a Grapefruit. It is composed largely of limonene, which is a fragrance that can cause irritation for sensitive skin.
Coco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl 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 GlycerinPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
