What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingTranexamic Acid
Astringent3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Arbutin
AntioxidantGlutathione
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningWater, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Tranexamic Acid, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, Glutathione, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingTranexamic Acid
AstringentDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingSalicylic Acid
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
MaskingDMDM Hydantoin
PreservativeAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid
Skin ConditioningCitrus Junos Seed Extract
AntioxidantCitrus Unshiu Peel Extract
MaskingActinidia Chinensis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningFragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Skin Extract
AntioxidantGarcinia Mangostana Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Tranexamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Salicylic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, DMDM Hydantoin, Allantoin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium EDTA, 10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid, Citrus Junos Seed Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Seed Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Skin Extract, Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolTranexamic 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