What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Polyquaternium-10
Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate
EmollientWater, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Propanediol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Triethyl Citrate, Citric Acid, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Propylene Glycol, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Polyquaternium-10, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract
AstringentAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
EmollientCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract
Abrasive
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract
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 GlycerinGlyceryl Oleate is the monoester of glycerin and oleic acid. It is a skin-conditioning emollient that also helps form emulsions.
What makes glyceryl oleate special is its "re-fatting" effect.
When you wash your hair and skin with a surfactant-based cleanser, the surfactants grab onto everything. This includes your skin's natural lipids, or the fats that live in your skin barrier and sebum. Once you rinse these surfactants away, it leaves your skin feeling tight, dry, and clean (in a not-good way).
Re-fatting is essentially putting some of these lipids back. Glyceryl oleate deposits a thin layer of emollient lipids back on the skin or hair surface reduce some of the barrier damage.
Also, glyceryl oleate isn't a foreign molecule to your skin. It's chemically identical to something your skin already produces and manages naturally. This is why it tends to be well-tolerated with low risk of irritation.
Typical use levels range from 0.5-5%.
Glyceryl Oleate has a function of "perfuming" in the CosIng database. This just means that the ingredient has some scent character that can contribute to the product's overall smell.
The scent of this ingredient is described as "waxy".
As an ester of oleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. This is because oleic acid falls into the carbon-chain length that Malassezia can use as a substrate.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleatePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium Cocoyl Glutamate is a gentle cleanser and surfactant. It is the sodium salt of the Cocoyl Glutamic Acid and comes from coconut oil. As a surfactant, it helps lift dirt and oil to be washed away.
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate also has an emolliating effect and can help leave the skin feeling soft.
Water. 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
