What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butylene Glycol Propionate
Solvent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-20 Olefin)
Abrasive
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Butylene Glycol Propionate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-20 Olefin), Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
C9-12 Alkane
SolventPsidium Guajava Fruit Extract
AstringentTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion Stabilising3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Psidium Guajava Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Communis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Dipalmitate
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Phytate
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Propanediol, C9-12 Alkane, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tranexamic Acid, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Psidium Guajava Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ferulic Acid, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract, Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Betaine, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Dipalmitate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Potassium Sorbate, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is one of the most popular "stable" vitamin C derivatives in skincare.
Plain ascorbic acid is fantastic but notoriously fragile; it browns, oxidizes, and loses potency fast. So attaching an ethyl group to the third carbon of the molecule gives it some cool perks:
In a formula, it does the 3 classic vitamin C jobs: it acts as an antioxidant, helps brighten skin tone by inhibiting tyrosinase, and supports collagen.
The evidence is reasonably solid for a cosmetic ingredient; Liao and colleagues (2018) showed it's significantly more stable than ascorbic acid while still being effective.
A 2021 study by Zerbinati and colleagues tested a serum with 30% 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid and 1% lactic acid significantly increased collagen production, reduced UVB-induced DNA damage, and decreased melanin on a reconstructed pigmented skin model.
Typical real world usage sits around 0.5-5% (and 1-2% is common for daily serums).
Amounts up to 30% have been shown to be non-irritating on human skin samples, but two isolated cases reported allergic contact dermatitis so a patch test is sensible if you have reactive skin.
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolXanthan 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
