What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tranexamic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Sorbitan Stearate, Polysorbate 80, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Xanthan Gum, Behenyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Erythritol
Humectant
PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningLamium Album Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tranexamic Acid, Erythritol, PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Lamium Album Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Metabisulfite, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol
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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDipropylene 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.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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 AcidXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
