What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingCitronellol
PerfumingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Hydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantIsopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Skin ConditioningLinalool
PerfumingMannose
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePhenylethyl Resorcinol
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Citric Acid, Citronellol, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Linalool, Mannose, Niacinamide, Phenoxyethanol, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycerin
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPhenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantDisodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract
Beta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningSophora Flavescens Root Extract
AntioxidantPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingRosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningWater, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Beta-Glucan, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide AP
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Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneNiacinamide 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 NiacinamidePhenylethyl Resorcinol (PR) is a synthetic antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitor. This ingredient is found naturally in pine trees.
What is a tyrosinase inhibitor?
Tyrosinase is an enzyme that plays a key role in melanin production, which leads to skin darkening when exposed to UV light. By inhibiting this enzyme, PR can help with skin brightening and lifting dark spots.
The manufacturer states 0.5% of PR is more effective than 1% kojic acid. In 2013, a study of 80 participants found combining PR with other skin-brightening ingredients found 57% showed moderate improvement and 17% saw no change. Another study with 20 women reported a 43% reduction in uneven skin tone.
While more research is needed to fully confirm PR's efficacy, there’s no harm in trying it - especially when combined with other proven skin-brightening ingredients.
Learn more about Phenylethyl ResorcinolWater. 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