What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyquaternium-37
Parfum
Masking
Polyquaternium-11
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Limonene
Perfuming
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Fructose
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingUrea
Buffering
Avena Strigosa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLinalool
Perfuming
Lecithin
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Maltose
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Citronellol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGeraniol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Tremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ferric Hexapeptide-35
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cetrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-37, Parfum, Polyquaternium-11, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Limonene, Pentylene Glycol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Fructose, Sodium Hydroxide, Urea, Avena Strigosa Seed Extract, Linalool, Lecithin, Allantoin, Maltose, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Trehalose, Citronellol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Geraniol, Citral, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Glucose, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ferric Hexapeptide-35
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Methyl Isethionate
Surfactant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Sodium Methyl Isethionate
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Polyquaternium-10
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cocoate
Cleansing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbic Acid
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Cocoyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sodium Methyl Isethionate, Benzyl Alcohol, Coconut Acid, Parfum, Polyquaternium-10, Panthenol, Sodium Cocoate, Salicylic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, CI 17200, CI 19140
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 AcidDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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 ParfumSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
