What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningTranexamic Acid
AstringentNiacinamide
SmoothingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Dicaprate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientBetaine
HumectantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantMyrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Extract
Skin ConditioningPerilla Frutescens Leaf Extract
MaskingChrysanthellum Indicum Extract
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingCastanea Crenata Shell Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentPolylysine
Lecithin
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlutathione
Ectoin
Skin ConditioningButyrum
EmollientWater, Butylene Glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Tranexamic Acid, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Dicaprate, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Glycerin, Panthenol, Allantoin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Betaine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Trehalose, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Extract, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Castanea Crenata Shell Extract, Dextrin, Polylysine, Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glutathione, Ectoin, Butyrum
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingTranexamic Acid
AstringentGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPvp
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Butylene Glycol
HumectantAgar
MaskingGellan Gum
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingHydroxydecyl Ubiquinone
AntioxidantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningLactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingFicus Carica Fruit Extract
HumectantFructooligosaccharides
HumectantCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingRetinal
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantGlutathione
Bisabolol
AntioxidantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningXanthophylls
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingPhenylpropanol
MaskingLevulinic Acid
PerfumingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningWater, Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Pvp, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Agar, Gellan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Adenosine, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Fructooligosaccharides, Cyanocobalamin, Xanthan Gum, Retinal, Ceramide NP, Arginine, Tocopherol, Glutathione, Bisabolol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Allantoin, Xanthophylls, Sodium Chloride, Phenylpropanol, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate
Reviews
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
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 AdenosineAllantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlutathione is an antioxidant naturally found in our bodies. It is made up of three amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid.
As an antioxidant, it prevents oxidative damage to parts of our cell.
While glutathione is said to help with fading dark spots, the results from research are inconclusive. Further studies are needed. With that said, gluthatione has been shown to protect our skin from UV-B induced damage.
This ingredient is naturally occurring in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria.
Learn more about GlutathioneGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideTranexamic 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 Water