What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Pachyrhizus Erosus Root Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Pachyrhizus Erosus Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, Potassium Sorbate
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Benzyl Glycol
SolventBisabolol
Antioxidant
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCoptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyisobutene
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Dimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingBiota Orientalis Leaf Extract
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingXylitol
Humectant
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Raspberry Ketone
Masking
Glutathione
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Menadione
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningCitrus Junos Peel Oil
Astringent
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Benzyl Glycol, Bisabolol, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Arginine, Caprylyl Methicone, Trehalose, Behenyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Polyisobutene, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carbomer, Centella Asiatica Extract, Dimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Biota Orientalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Stearyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Xylitylglucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Anhydroxylitol, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Xylitol, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Raspberry Ketone, Glutathione, Biotin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Arbutin, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Menadione, Cyanocobalamin, Citrus Junos Peel Oil, Linalool, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:
Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.
One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.
While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.
The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.
Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.
Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidButylene 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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
