What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Salicylic Acid
Masking
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingBetaine
Humectant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Salicylic Acid, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Betaine, Zinc PCA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Benzyl Alcohol, Coconut Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Hordeum Vulgare Leaf Juice
EmollientCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingWater
Skin ConditioningMaltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningMel
EmollientSalix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantAroma
Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract
Abrasive
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialGaultheria Procumbens Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Yucca Schidigera Stem Extract
Cleansing
Chlorella Pyrenoidosa Powder
Skin ConditioningJuniperus Communis Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Arnica Montana Extract
Skin ConditioningBorago Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Medicago Sativa Extract
TonicSpiraea Ulmaria Extract
AstringentOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract
AstringentP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Menthol
Masking
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Caproyl/Lauroyl Lactylate
AntimicrobialPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
CI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hordeum Vulgare Leaf Juice, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Water, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Mel, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Aroma, Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Gaultheria Procumbens Leaf Extract, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Yucca Schidigera Stem Extract, Chlorella Pyrenoidosa Powder, Juniperus Communis Fruit Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Arnica Montana Extract, Borago Officinalis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, P-Anisic Acid, Menthol, Menthyl Lactate, Sodium Phytate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Caproyl/Lauroyl Lactylate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, CI 77288, Alcohol, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
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 AcidCoco-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-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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
