What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Citrus Clementina Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Sinensis Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Cydonia Seed Extract
MaskingSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingAcer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantCitric Acid
Buffering
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
CI 75120
Cosmetic ColorantCopper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glucose, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Clementina Fruit Extract, Citrus Sinensis Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Fructose, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Pyrus Cydonia Seed Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Sclerotium Gum, Parfum, Sodium Citrate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Caramel, Citric Acid, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, CI 75120, Copper Gluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Limonene
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
2-Dimethylamino Ethanol
Emulsifying Wax Nf
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentTocopherol
Antioxidant
Calcium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Persea Gratissima Oil, 2-Dimethylamino Ethanol, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Calcium Ascorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ubiquinone, Retinol, Thioctic Acid, Panthenol, Pantothenic Acid, Niacinamide, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Lecithin, Citric 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.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract is more commonly known as the bitter orange. Native to Southeast Asia, this extract is commonly found in both cosmetics and foods.
The bitter orange possesses antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
It can also be mildly exfoliating due to the citric acid, an AHA.
Citrus fruits are rich in flavonoids, alkaloids, and vitamin C.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit ExtractCitrus Limon Fruit Extract comes from lemons. While lemon extract is exfoliating and antimicrobial, it can also cause skin sensitivity.
Lemons contains antioxidants, which may help with anti-aging. They are also rich in citric acid, an AHA.
And of course, lemons are rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps with skin-brightening and increasing collagen production.
The acidity of lemons may work as an astringent for acne.
However, lemons can also cause skin sensitivity due to its limonene content. It can also increase photosensitivity, or sensitivity to the sun.
This ingredient is also used to add a lemon scent to products.
Learn more about Citrus Limon Fruit ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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 Tocopherol
