What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Ethoxydiglycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hexylresorcinol
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Citric Acid
Buffering
Theobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Octanediol
Dextrin
AbsorbentWater, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Tranexamic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, Ethoxydiglycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Panthenol, Hexylresorcinol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Beta-Glucan, Allantoin, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Glycerin, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Xanthan Gum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Citric Acid, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Myristic Acid, Behenic Acid, Stearic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Octanediol, Dextrin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolTranexamic Acid (TXA) is a synthetic lysine derivative that is becoming one of the most exciting brightening ingredients in skincare.
Originally used in medicine as an anti-hemorrhagic agent, its skin brightening potential was discovered by accident; patients taking it orally started noticing their melasma was fading.
Unlike most brighteners that target tyrosinase (the enzyme that synthesizes melanin), TXA works further upstream. It basically blocks your cells from receiving the signal to produce pigment.
This makes it one of the rare actives that works on three pathways at once:
This makes it effective for treating melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and sun-induced dark spots.
The most effective cosmetic concentration sits between 2-5% and going higher doesn't boost results.
Side effects are generally mild; occasional irritation, flaking, or dryness have been reported at the start of use. Overall, this ingredient is pretty well tolerated, even by sensitive skin types.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it does not cause photosensitivity, so it's safe to use in the AM and PM.
Learn more about Tranexamic AcidWater. 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
