What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Isosorbide Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Panthenyl Triacetate
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dextran
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Naringenin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingSqualane
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
Sodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCI 75810
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Glycerin, Panthenyl Triacetate, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Propylene Glycol, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide NP, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dextran, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Levulinate, Tocopherol, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Anisate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Naringenin, Sodium Citrate, Squalane, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Butylene Glycol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Citric Acid, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, CI 75810
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium PCA
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Morinda Citrifolia Callus Culture Lysate
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
PCA
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Xylitol
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientSodium Lactate
Buffering
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Betaine, Glycereth-26, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Callus Culture Lysate, Beta-Glucan, PCA, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Xylitol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Carbomer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Sodium Lactate, Trideceth-6, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric 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 GlycolSodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
Tocopherol 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 Water
