What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingSalvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientCitric Acid
Buffering
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientPisum Sativum Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment
Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Melatonin
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-10
Betaine
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Citric Acid, Glycosphingolipids, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Biotin, Caffeine, Melatonin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hexapeptide-11, Polyquaternium-10, Betaine, Parfum, Linalool, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. Itβs known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineCitric 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 BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier. It is a surfactant derived from sarcosine, and a common source is coconut oil.
As a surfactant, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate helps lift dirts, oil, and other molecules to be washed away. In leave-on products, this ingredient is used as an emulsifier. Emulsifier help prevent ingredients such as oils and waters from separating.
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate is also commonly found as a foaming agent in shampoo, toothpaste, and shaving foam. It is amphiphilic, meaning it loves both water and fats.
Learn more about Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
