What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, C12-14 Pareth-12, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Glycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Cyanocobalamin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Sodium Phytate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
C13-15 Alkane
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Acer Rubrum Extract
Skin ConditioningArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalene
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Lecithin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPullulan
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Niacinamide, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, C13-15 Alkane, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Acer Rubrum Extract, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ectoin, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Lactic Acid, Parfum, Limonene, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolTocopherol 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 WaterXanthan 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
