What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingDiisostearyl Malate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolypropylsilsesquioxane
Panthenol
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Cetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
MaskingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantRetinal 0.1%
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingSodium Lactate
BufferingHydrolyzed Sponge
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Polysorbate 20
EmulsifyingAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantGlucose
HumectantPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Diisostearyl Malate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Panthenol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Lecithin, Carbomer, Arginine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Retinal 0.1%, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Lactate, Hydrolyzed Sponge, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Ascorbic Acid, Glucose, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Hydroquinone 2%
StabilisingGlycerin
HumectantMontan/Stearic Glycerides
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantStearyl Alcohol
EmollientSodium Metabisulfite
AntioxidantCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientBHT
AntioxidantMethyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingPropylparaben
PreservativeCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningMethylparaben
PreservativeIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientPEG-90
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantPea Palmitate
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientHydroquinone 2%, Glycerin, Montan/Stearic Glycerides, Butylene Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Cyclopentasiloxane, BHT, Methyl Gluceth-10, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Propylparaben, Cetearyl Alcohol, Water, Methylparaben, Isopropyl Myristate, PEG-90, Stearic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Pea Palmitate, Paraffinum Liquidum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:
Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.
One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.
While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.
The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.
Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.
Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidButylene 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 GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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