What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PCA
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Undecane
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTridecane
Perfuming
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Phytate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Isopropyl Myristate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Squalane, Sodium PCA, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglutamic Acid, Glyceryl Oleate, Ceramide NP, Palmitic Acid, PCA, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Saccharide Isomerate, Triethyl Citrate, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Tocopherol, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Proline, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Undecane, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Tridecane, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Betaine, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Lactate
Alternatives
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 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 GlycerinWater. 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
