What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventBetaine
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingCyclodextrin
AbsorbentPolydextrose
HumectantResveratrol
Antioxidant
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLimonia Acidissima Extract
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Broussonetia Papyrifera Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Morus Alba Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Rhus Semialata Extract
Skin ConditioningTricholoma Matsutake Extract
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dextran
Nonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Euglena Gracilis Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Water, Panthenol, Methylpropanediol, Betaine, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Cyclodextrin, Polydextrose, Resveratrol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Stearate, Alpha-Arbutin, Polysorbate 80, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonia Acidissima Extract, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Broussonetia Papyrifera Bark Extract, Acetyl Glucosamine, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Madecassoside, Rhus Semialata Extract, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Lactic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Dextran, Nonapeptide-1, Euglena Gracilis Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Disodium EDTA
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
PEG-8
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
EDTA
Styrene/Vp Copolymer
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tranexamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, PEG-8, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citric Acid, EDTA, Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolPentylene 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 GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 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 HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about Tocopherol
