What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Flower
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Plankton Extract
Skin ConditioningSpirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingCucumis Sativus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningNasturtium Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract
AntiseborrhoeicCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Polysorbate 20, Alpha-Arbutin, Helianthus Annuus Flower, Glycerin, Kojic Acid, Plankton Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Cucumis Sativus Seed Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Dehydroacetic Acid, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAmber Powder
Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Oil
Masking
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glutathione
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTropolone
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Alpha-Arbutin, Kojic Acid, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Amber Powder, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Oil, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Glutathione, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Gluconate, Sclerotium Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tropolone, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alpha-Arbutin is made from hydroquinone and glucose. It may also be derived from the fermentation of soybeans.
This ingredient an antioxidant, meaning it helps protect your skin cells against damage.
Studies show this ingredient helps improve hyperpigmentation and fade discoloration.
Alpha-Arbutin may be used with other ingredients that help with hyperpigmentation. These ingredients include retinol, Vitamin C, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid.
Learn more about Alpha-ArbutinGlycerin (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 GlycerinKojic Acid is a naturally occurring organic acid that is produced during the fermentation of certain fungi. It is one of the most well-studied brightening ingredients (tyrosinase inhibitors) out there.
That's why you'll see Kojic Acid in products that target dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and general uneven skin tone. It also pairs well with other brightening actives like Alpha Arbutin, Glycolic Acid, and Vitamin C derivatives.
By latching onto the copper that the enzyme tyrosinase needs to function, Kojic Acid prevents less pigment from being made. It's so well-established that researchers regularly use it as the go-to benchmark when testing new brightening ingredients.
Some other perks include documented antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) Expert Panel concluded Kojic Acid is safe for use in cosmetic products at concentrations up to 1% and the EU's SCCS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety) considers it safe as a skin lightening agent at concentrations up to 0.7%.
One thing to know about Kojic Acid is that stability is its weak spot; it is sensitive to light, heat, and air exposure and will oxidize/turn brown in formulations. Its derivative, Kojic Dipalmitate, was developed as a stable alternative.
Some individuals have reported contact sensitization so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or sensitive skin.
Fun fact: It was first discovered in 1907 and naturally occurs in the production of sake, soy sauce, and miso.
Learn more about Kojic AcidPolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Sodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
