What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
PEG-75 Stearate
Surfactant
Ceteareth-33
CleansingYeast Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningLaureth-7
EmulsifyingAllium Sativum Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningSteareth-20
CleansingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantOleth-10
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Ceteth-20
CleansingPvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPogostemon Cablin Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Raphanus Sativus Root Extract
AstringentGlucose
Humectant
Simethicone
Emollient
2-Aminobutanol
BufferingWater, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Ferulic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Allantoin, Octyldodecanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Titanium Dioxide, DMDM Hydantoin, Sodium Benzoate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycine Soja Oil, PEG-75 Stearate, Ceteareth-33, Yeast Ferment Extract, Laureth-7, Allium Sativum Bulb Extract, Steareth-20, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Oleth-10, Polysorbate 60, Ceteth-20, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Raphanus Sativus Root Extract, Glucose, Simethicone, 2-Aminobutanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Diisooctyl Succinate
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Diisooctyl Succinate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Carnosine, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide As, Phytosterols, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.
THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).
Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.
Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.
Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.
A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).
While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.
THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Tetrahexyldecyl AscorbateWater. 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
