What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate
Antioxidant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventPvp
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ethyl Ferulate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Magnesium PCA
Humectant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Manganese PCA
HumectantDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCamphor
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Citrate
BufferingLecithin
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Propylene Glycol, Water, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate, Alcohol Denat., Cyclopentasiloxane, Methylpropanediol, Pvp, Dimethicone, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethyl Ferulate, Tocopherol, Ferulic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sphingolipids, Phospholipids, Sodium PCA, Magnesium PCA, Zinc PCA, Manganese PCA, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Aminomethyl Propanol, Camphor, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA
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. This form makes up the largest amount of vitamin C found naturally in our skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, it also has plenty of benefits on your skin.
Vitamin C is best used for brightening skin. It improves dark spots, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation. This is because it blocks the process of skin darkening when exposed to UV.
Remember: Vitamin C should not replace sunscreen!
Your skin uses vitamin C to build collagen. Collagen is one key component in having a strong skin barrier and plump skin. Vitamin C also plays a role in regulating collagen, thus making it effective in improving wrinkles and fine lines.
Ascorbic acid shows potent antioxidant activity. As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. These antioxidants also protect skin against UV damage.
The best formulations include Vitamin E and/or ferulic acid. These two ingredients help stabilize and provide a boost in the benefits of ascorbic acid. This is because ascorbic acid becomes unstable when exposed to UV and air. In fact, you can tell your ascorbic acid has oxidized when it turns an orange-yellow color.
Ascorbic acid is generally compatible with other ingredients. However, using ascorbic acid with other active ingredients might cause irritation. Two ingredients: copper ions and benzoyl peroxide, will inactivate ascorbic acid completely.
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 AcidFerulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant. By fighting free-radicals, ferulic acid can help reduce the formation of fine lines and hyperpigmentation.
When used with Vitamin C, Ferulic Acid has shown to prevent Vitamin C from breaking down. In other words, it acts as a stabilizer.
Ferulic Acid is sometimes used to preserve food. Foods containing Ferulic Acid include: oats, rice, eggplant, citrus.
In medicine, Ferulic Acid is being studied for helping with diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular diseases.
Learn more about Ferulic AcidPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.
Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.
This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.
Those with sensitive skin or conditions may develop a rash when using this ingredient.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
