What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit
AstringentGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Physalis Peruviana Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Idaeus Fruit
AstringentArctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMorus Nigra Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Physalis Peruviana Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Morus Nigra Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingLauryl Betaine
CleansingDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Inositol
Humectant
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Mannitol
Humectant
PEG-45m
HumectantPolyquaternium-7
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentKaolin
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Extensin
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCitrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract
RefreshingCyclodextrin
AbsorbentCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Protease
Exfoliating
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Monascus/Rice Ferment
Antioxidant
Oryza Sativa Powder
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Lauryl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Sodium Chloride, Niacinamide, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Inositol, Zea Mays Starch, Mannitol, PEG-45m, Polyquaternium-7, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Kaolin, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Hydrolyzed Extensin, Dextrin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, CI 77891, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Cyclodextrin, CI 77491, Glycolic Acid, Protease, Tocopherol, Monascus/Rice Ferment, Oryza Sativa Powder, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Ā
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesĀ
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycolic Acid is arguably the most famous alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) with tons of research backing its benefits.
It is found naturally in sugar cane but the form used in skincare is usually synthetic for purity and stability.
Glycolic acid removes the top layer of dead skin cells to allow newer and fresher ones to emerge.
AHAs work by breaking down the structural āglueā that holds old skin cells in place. When that buildup is gone, your skin can renew itself more efficiently.
Research also shows glycolic acid stimulates collagen production, helping to firm and thicken the skin over time. This is one of its biggest advantages over other AHAs.
Overall, glycolic acid helps with:
Fun fact: Glycolic acid boosts skin hydration by helping it produce molecules that increase hyaluronic acid naturally.
To work best, glycolic acid products should have a pH between 3-4 (thatās where exfoliation is most effective but still gentle on skin).
The pH and concentration of a product are key to its effectiveness:
It is normal to feel a slight stinging sensation when using glycolic acid. This usually fades as your skin adjusts.
Because glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size in the AHA family, it can penetrate deeper, which enhances its effectiveness but also makes it more likely to irritate sensitive skin.
If your skin is very sensitive or prone to rosacea, glycolic acid may be too strong; in that case, try milder options like lactic acid or a PHA instead.
Recent studies suggest glycolic acid might even help protect against UV damage. But donāt skip sunscreen! Freshly exfoliated skin is more sensitive to the sun.
Glycolic acid is a skincare superstar. It smooths, brightens, hydrates, and firms the skin. Unless youāre highly sensitive, itās well worth adding to your routine.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Glycolic AcidChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
