What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingSodium PCA
Humectant
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Mannitol
Humectant
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCitric Acid
Buffering
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Leontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningMalic Acid
Buffering
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingTartaric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium PCA, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, DMDM Hydantoin, Gluconolactone, Zea Mays Starch, Mannitol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Mica, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Malic Acid, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Tartaric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Acer Saccharum Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, CI 77891, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Laureth Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingQuillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Potassium Cocoyl Glutamate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Water, Potassium Laureth Phosphate, Glycerin, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Potassium Cocoyl Glutamate, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tromethamine, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA
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 GlycerinChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
