What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-26
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sucrose Palmitate
EmollientHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentGlyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sophora Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ProtectingGlucose
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Chloride
Calcium Chloride
AstringentMagnesium Sulfate
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningSodium Phosphate
BufferingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Acetate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Histidine Hcl
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningTryptophan
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingGlycine
Buffering
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Serine
Masking
Cystine
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Asparagine
MaskingAspartic Acid
Masking
Ornithine Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Methionine
Skin ConditioningTaurine
BufferingHydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningGlucosamine Hcl
Coenzyme A
Skin ConditioningSodium Glucuronate
HumectantThiamine Diphosphate
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Inositol
Humectant
Niacin
SmoothingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCalcium Pantothenate
Riboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Thiamine Hcl
MaskingFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycereth-26, 1,2-Hexanediol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sucrose Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Parfum, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Glyceryl Linoleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Benzyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Adenosine, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Sorbate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Sodium Chloride, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sophora Japonica Flower Extract, Glucose, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Glutamine, Sodium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Acetate, Tocopherol, Lysine Hcl, Arginine Hcl, Alanine, Histidine Hcl, Valine, Leucine, Threonine, Isoleucine, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Glycine, Polysorbate 80, Serine, Cystine, Cyanocobalamin, Glutathione, Asparagine, Aspartic Acid, Ornithine Hcl, Glutamic Acid, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Proline, Methionine, Taurine, Hydroxyproline, Glucosamine Hcl, Coenzyme A, Sodium Glucuronate, Thiamine Diphosphate, Retinyl Acetate, Inositol, Niacin, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hcl, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Thiamine Hcl, Folic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:
Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.
One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.
While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.
The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.
Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.
Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic 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
