What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
CleansingCitrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract
EmollientDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Quaternium-15
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Lauryl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ammonium Chloride
BufferingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 61570
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Silk, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract, Dicaprylyl Ether, Quaternium-15, Propylene Glycol, Lauryl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Ammonium Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Parfum, CI 61570
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingParfum
Masking
Polyquaternium-10
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Magnesium Nitrate
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Sodium Acetate
BufferingMethylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Magnesium Chloride
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicNiacinamide
Smoothing
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 61570
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Parfum, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Benzoate, DMDM Hydantoin, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Magnesium Nitrate, Polysorbate 20, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Acetate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Methylisothiazolinone, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Biotin, Niacinamide, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, CI 61570
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:
Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.
One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.
While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.
The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.
Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.
Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidCI 61570 is a synthetic dye with a green-blue color.
It is water-soluble.
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 AcidCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineMethylchloroisothiazolinone, or MCI, is a synthetic preservative used to protect against the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi in water-based products.
MCI is commonly combined with methylisothiazolinone (MI) in a 3:1 ratio.
This ingredient is safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-sensitizing and concentrations must not exceed 7.5 ppm in leave-on products / 15 ppm in rinse-off products.
Unfortunately, this ingredient has a well-documented sensitization story. Studies spanning several decades have shown this ingredient + MI to cause skin irritation and allergies.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
This just means this ingredient is most likely non-sensitizing in rinse-off products unless you've been diagnosed with a contact allergy to isothiazolinones.
Learn more about MethylchloroisothiazolinoneMI is a preservative and known skin irritant. In the past, MI was used for its ability to prevent bacteria, yeast, and fungi growth in low doses.
Nowadays, you'll most likely see MI combined with Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI).
Since then, numerous studies have shown this ingredient to cause contact dermatitis, or skin irritation.
The use of this ingredient varies around the world:
Learn more about MethylisothiazolinoneParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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
