What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCoix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningDiglycerin
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Styrene/Vp Copolymer
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Tranexamic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Diglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Persica Juice
MoisturisingPrunus Persica Leaf Extract
Emollient
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningPPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG-8, Alcohol, Zea Mays Oil, Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Juice, Prunus Persica Leaf Extract, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Lactobacillus, PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol 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 TocopherolWater. 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
