What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Rumex Occidentalis Extract
Skin ConditioningAscophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningNonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-40
Skin Conditioning
Pterocarpus Marsupium Bark Extract
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Phenyl T-Butylnitrone
Antioxidant
Resveratrol Dimethyl Ether
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Dextran
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningDisodium Succinate
MaskingAcetyl Tributyl Citrate
Masking
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Mandelic Acid, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 20, Lactic Acid, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Salicylic Acid, Superoxide Dismutase, Bakuchiol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rumex Occidentalis Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Nonapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-40, Pterocarpus Marsupium Bark Extract, Glutamic Acid, Phenyl T-Butylnitrone, Resveratrol Dimethyl Ether, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbitol, Dextran, Sodium Gluconate, Disodium Succinate, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCholesterol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Benzoic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium 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
