What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingPolyquaternium-10
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Liquid Endosperm
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMagnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Alanine
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Hexyl Nicotinate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Dextrin
AbsorbentHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin, Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Polyquaternium-10, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera Liquid Endosperm, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Glucose, Alanine, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Sucrose, Urea, Hexylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Hexyl Nicotinate, Propanediol, Dextrin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Geraniol, Linalool, Parfum
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
