What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
EmollientHylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHippophae Rhamnoides Water
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Betaine Salicylate
Antimicrobial
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Mentha Haplocalix Extract
MaskingActinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycolic Acid, Betaine, Sodium Hydroxide, Water, Panthenol, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Betaine Salicylate, Alpha-Arbutin, Menthyl Lactate, Mentha Haplocalix Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPrunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Centifolia Flower Extract
Astringent
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Malic Acid
Buffering
Gluconic Acid
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Ascorbic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Retinyl Palmitate, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Gluconic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citral, Limonene, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinGlycolic Acid is arguably the most famous alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) with tons of research backing its benefits.
It is found naturally in sugar cane but the form used in skincare is usually synthetic for purity and stability.
Glycolic acid removes the top layer of dead skin cells to allow newer and fresher ones to emerge.
AHAs work by breaking down the structural âglueâ that holds old skin cells in place. When that buildup is gone, your skin can renew itself more efficiently.
Research also shows glycolic acid stimulates collagen production, helping to firm and thicken the skin over time. This is one of its biggest advantages over other AHAs.
Overall, glycolic acid helps with:
Fun fact: Glycolic acid boosts skin hydration by helping it produce molecules that increase hyaluronic acid naturally.
To work best, glycolic acid products should have a pH between 3-4 (thatâs where exfoliation is most effective but still gentle on skin).
The pH and concentration of a product are key to its effectiveness:
It is normal to feel a slight stinging sensation when using glycolic acid. This usually fades as your skin adjusts.
Because glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size in the AHA family, it can penetrate deeper, which enhances its effectiveness but also makes it more likely to irritate sensitive skin.
If your skin is very sensitive or prone to rosacea, glycolic acid may be too strong; in that case, try milder options like lactic acid or a PHA instead.
Recent studies suggest glycolic acid might even help protect against UV damage. But donât skip sunscreen! Freshly exfoliated skin is more sensitive to the sun.
Glycolic acid is a skincare superstar. It smooths, brightens, hydrates, and firms the skin. Unless youâre highly sensitive, itâs well worth adding to your routine.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Glycolic AcidHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
