What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyisobutene
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Glutathione
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopentyldiol, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Stearate, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Arginine, Carbomer, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Oleate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ascorbic Acid, Cholesterol, Glutathione, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
EmollientPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Phytonadione Epoxide
AstringentMagnesium Sulfate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Dextran Sulfate
Gel Forming
Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Steareth-20
CleansingHesperidin Methyl Chalcone
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-8
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
N-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningBHT
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Dipeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Chrysin
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicWater, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Isopropyl Myristate, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Phytonadione Epoxide, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Cera Microcristallina, CI 77891, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Steareth-20, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-8, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, BHT, Potassium Sorbate, Dipeptide-2, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sodium Citrate, Biotin
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 doesnât 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 wonât keep absorbing more once itâs full of vitamin C. This is why more isnât always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations donât 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 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of âFRAGRANCEâ or âPARFUMâ according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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
