This oil-control day moisturizer is formulated around Perlite and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate to balance excess oil and brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Papain to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDiethylhexyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Cellulose
Absorbent
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone
Emollient
Perlite
Absorbent
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sarcosine
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Sorbitol, Cellulose, Cetyl Dimethicone, Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone, Perlite, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sarcosine, Polysorbate 80, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, CI 14700
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAlgin
MaskingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
ChelatingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Papain, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Algin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidParfum 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 ParfumPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
