What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Rumex Occidentalis Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Rhododendron Ferrugineum Leaf Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Tranexamic Acid 0.3%
Astringent
Hyaluronic Acid 0.3%
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid 0.3%
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Rumex Occidentalis Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Rhododendron Ferrugineum Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Tranexamic Acid 0.3%, Hyaluronic Acid 0.3%, Ascorbic Acid 0.3%, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, EDTA, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentMannitol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Tranexamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Zea Mays Starch, Xanthan Gum, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Mannitol, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Madecassoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment
Reviews
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 GlycerinTranexamic Acid (TXA) is a synthetic lysine derivative that is becoming one of the most exciting brightening ingredients in skincare.
Originally used in medicine as an anti-hemorrhagic agent, its skin brightening potential was discovered by accident; patients taking it orally started noticing their melasma was fading.
Unlike most brighteners that target tyrosinase (the enzyme that synthesizes melanin), TXA works further upstream. It basically blocks your cells from receiving the signal to produce pigment.
This makes it one of the rare actives that works on three pathways at once:
This makes it effective for treating melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and sun-induced dark spots.
The most effective cosmetic concentration sits between 2-5% and going higher doesn't boost results.
Side effects are generally mild; occasional irritation, flaking, or dryness have been reported at the start of use. Overall, this ingredient is pretty well tolerated, even by sensitive skin types.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it does not cause photosensitivity, so it's safe to use in the AM and PM.
Learn more about Tranexamic AcidWater. 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
