What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glutathione
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDiazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract
AstringentSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Medica Limonum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAcer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Propylparaben
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glutathione, Xanthan Gum, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Panthenol, Carbomer, Allantoin, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Propylparaben, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocomonoglyceride Sulfonate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Cocamide DEA
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Water, Sodium Cocomonoglyceride Sulfonate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Cocamide DEA, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Hydrolyzed Collagen, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 AcidDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
