What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Phytate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Glutathione
Sodium Carbonate
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Withania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Phosphate
BufferingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Mandelic Acid, Glycerin, Saccharomyces Ferment, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Glutathione, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate
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 GlycerinMandelic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA).
Like other AHAs, it helps exfoliate the surface of the skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
Mandelic acid helps with:
Due to it having a larger molecular size than glycolic acid, mandelic acid is able to penetrate the skin more slowly and evenly. This makes it gentler and less irritating, making it a great option for sensitive or beginner skin.
Despite being milder, mandelic acid is still an effective exfoliant that improves skin texture and tone over time.
What makes mandelic acid stand out from other AHAs? It has antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
These traits make it a great option for acne-prone or problem skin by reducing active breakouts and fading post-acne marks. Studies show that mandelic acid (especially when combined with salicylic acid) can significantly reduce pimples and hyperpigmentation while causing fewer side effects than stronger acids.
Mandelic acid is effective in concentrations of 5% and up with an ideal pH range of 3-4 for at-home use.
Like other AHAs, itβs important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your newly exfoliated skin.
However, unlike glycolic acid, mandelic acid is light-sensitive. Be sure your mandelic acid is packaged in opaque containers to ensure it stays stable and effective.
In short, mandelic acid is a gentle yet powerful AHA that exfoliates, brightens, and helps clarify skin while keeping irritation low. Its antibacterial action makes it especially beneficial for those with acne-prone, sensitive, or uneven skin, offering smoother, clearer, and more even-toned results over time.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Mandelic AcidPentylene 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 GlycolSaccharomyces Ferment is what you get when you ferment yeast from Saccharomyces genus and keep the ferment rather than just the strained liquid.
You can think of it like the water-like version of Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate.
As yeast eats through its growth medium, it leaves behind a nutrient soup of amino acids, peptides, vitamins, and minerals.
The component with the most actual research behind it, beta-glucan, is a polysaccharide that acts as a barrier-supportive humectant with antioxidant and skin-soothing properties.
Typical use concentrations range from 1-3%.
Fungal acne: This ingredient may not be considered fungal-acne safe. Even though Saccharomyces isn't the same yeast as Malassezia, fermentation can produce fatty acids in the C11-24 range that Malassezia feeds on.
Learn more about Saccharomyces FermentSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
