What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
BHT
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPolymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCholesterol
Emollient
Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment
Skin ProtectingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Methylpropanediol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Alpha-Arbutin, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propylene Glycol, Parfum, BHT, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Trehalose, Maltodextrin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Caramel, Lactobacillus, Ceramide NP, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Cholesterol, Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment, Phytosphingosine
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene 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 GlycolWater. 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
