What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingMethyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Prunus Domestica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Malic Acid
Buffering
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Azelaic Acid, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Ethyl Macadamiate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Mandelic Acid, Malic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
3-Glyceryl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Acetyl Zingerone
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hexylresorcinol
Antimicrobial
Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Acetyl Zingerone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hexylresorcinol, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Allantoin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Cellulose Gum, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is one of the most popular "stable" vitamin C derivatives in skincare.
Plain ascorbic acid is fantastic but notoriously fragile; it browns, oxidizes, and loses potency fast. So attaching an ethyl group to the third carbon of the molecule gives it some cool perks:
In a formula, it does the 3 classic vitamin C jobs: it acts as an antioxidant, helps brighten skin tone by inhibiting tyrosinase, and supports collagen.
The evidence is reasonably solid for a cosmetic ingredient; Liao and colleagues (2018) showed it's significantly more stable than ascorbic acid while still being effective.
A 2021 study by Zerbinati and colleagues tested a serum with 30% 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid and 1% lactic acid significantly increased collagen production, reduced UVB-induced DNA damage, and decreased melanin on a reconstructed pigmented skin model.
Typical real world usage sits around 0.5-5% (and 1-2% is common for daily serums).
Amounts up to 30% have been shown to be non-irritating on human skin samples, but two isolated cases reported allergic contact dermatitis so a patch test is sensible if you have reactive skin.
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 GlycerinPentylene 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 GlycolTocopherol 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 TocopherolWater. 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
