What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Arbutin 4%
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Steareth-21
CleansingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Alcohol
Masking
Bisabolol
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Arbutin 4%, Water, Tocopheryl Acetate, Stearic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Steareth-2, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Steareth-21, Stearyl Alcohol, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Alcohol, Bisabolol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Allantoin, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Diisooctyl Succinate
EmollientTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients.
Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
They are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent alcohols. FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholTetrahexyldecyl 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
