What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Graveolens Flower Water
AstringentGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin ConditioningTriticum Aestivum Germ Extract
AntioxidantAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingTocopherol
AntioxidantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningArginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Dehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeSodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingOligopeptide-68
BleachingSodium Oleate
CleansingWater, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine, Triticum Aestivum Germ Extract, Acacia Senegal Gum, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Arginine Hcl, Disodium EDTA, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycine Soja Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Oligopeptide-68, Sodium Oleate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantBetaine
HumectantGlycereth-26
HumectantTranexamic Acid
AstringentButylene Glycol
HumectantAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin ConditioningArbutin
AntioxidantKojic Acid
AntioxidantNonapeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPotassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingCarnosine
Skin ConditioningLactobionic Acid
BufferingMandelic Acid
AntimicrobialNiacinamide
SmoothingLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningAminoethylphosphinic Acid
Skin ConditioningHexylresorcinol
AntimicrobialPhenylethyl Resorcinol
AntioxidantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
AbrasiveDextrin Palmitate
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Betaine, Glycereth-26, Tranexamic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Acetyl Glucosamine, Arbutin, Kojic Acid, Nonapeptide-1, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Carnosine, Lactobionic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Niacinamide, Lactobacillus Ferment, Aminoethylphosphinic Acid, Hexylresorcinol, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Silica, Dextrin Palmitate, Caprylyl Glycol, Diisostearyl Malate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acetyl Glucosamine is an antioxidant and humectant. It is an amino acid sugar and is naturally found in our skin.
The cool thing about this ingredient? It helps the skin produce hyaluronic acid and boost hydration. It also has antioxidant benefits to protect skin cells.
When paired with niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine has been shown to be effective at reducing discoloration.
Learn more about Acetyl GlucosamineButylene 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 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 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 NiacinamideTocopherol 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