What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningZiziphus Spina-Christi Leaf
Trehalose
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Pentylene Glycol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Ziziphus Spina-Christi Leaf, Trehalose, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate
Humectant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
C9-12 Alkane
SolventPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Acetyl Zingerone
Antioxidant
Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract
EmollientGalactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientPolygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polyisobutene
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Propanediol, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C9-12 Alkane, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Acetyl Zingerone, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyisobutene, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
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.
Sodium 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 HydroxideTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.
THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).
Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.
Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.
Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.
A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).
While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.
THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Tetrahexyldecyl AscorbateWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
