What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Benzyl Glycol
SolventDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
PEG-8
HumectantHydrolyzed Phospholipids
Skin ConditioningCitraconic Anhydride
EDTA
Styrene/Vp Copolymer
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tranexamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Benzyl Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, PEG-8, Hydrolyzed Phospholipids, Citraconic Anhydride, EDTA, Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol
Hippophae Rhamnoides Water
Masking
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningMethyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventBetaine
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningFicus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion Stabilising3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hippophae Rhamnoides Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Water, Methyl Gluceth-20, Methylpropanediol, Betaine, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, C12-14 Pareth-12, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta-Glucan, Ascorbic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Alpha-Arbutin, Tocopherol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Bisabolol, Ubiquinone, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Reviews
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 GlycerinSodium 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 TocopherolTranexamic Acid (TXA) is a synthetic lysine derivative that is becoming one of the most exciting brightening ingredients in skincare.
Originally used in medicine as an anti-hemorrhagic agent, its skin brightening potential was discovered by accident; patients taking it orally started noticing their melasma was fading.
Unlike most brighteners that target tyrosinase (the enzyme that synthesizes melanin), TXA works further upstream. It basically blocks your cells from receiving the signal to produce pigment.
This makes it one of the rare actives that works on three pathways at once:
This makes it effective for treating melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and sun-induced dark spots.
The most effective cosmetic concentration sits between 2-5% and going higher doesn't boost results.
Side effects are generally mild; occasional irritation, flaking, or dryness have been reported at the start of use. Overall, this ingredient is pretty well tolerated, even by sensitive skin types.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it does not cause photosensitivity, so it's safe to use in the AM and PM.
Learn more about Tranexamic Acid
