What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Squalane
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Grifola Frondosa Extract
Skin ConditioningLepidium Meyenii Root Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Theobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Sterols
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Oil
Perfuming
Cordyceps Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientPerilla Frutescens Extract
Skin ConditioningAsparagus Racemosus Root Extract
AntimicrobialWithania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract
EmollientInonotus Obliquus Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil
Masking
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Lecithin
Emollient
Lysolecithin
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-28
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Phytic Acid
Citric Acid
Buffering
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Propanediol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Niacinamide, Squalane, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glycerin, Grifola Frondosa Extract, Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Curcuma Longa Root Oil, Cordyceps Sinensis Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Perilla Frutescens Extract, Asparagus Racemosus Root Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Lecithin, Lysolecithin, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Beta-Sitosterol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Adenosine, Lactic Acid, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-28, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Phytic Acid, Citric Acid, Cyclodextrin, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventRicinoleth-40
CleansingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Morus Alba Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Learn more about Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root ExtractLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic 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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
