What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-13 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientHydrogenated Coconut Acid
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingMagnesium Sulfate
Manganese Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Aluminum Silicate
Abrasive
Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Reseda Luteola Extract
Skin ConditioningArctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carum Petroselinum Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Methylpropanediol
SolventO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Hexamidine Diisethionate
Emollient
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Water, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Propanediol, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, Hydrogenated Coconut Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Kojic Acid, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Lactic Acid, Aluminum Silicate, Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate, Niacinamide, Reseda Luteola Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Carum Petroselinum Extract, Tocopherol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Disodium EDTA, Methylpropanediol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Hexamidine Diisethionate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Polysorbate 80, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Oleate
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientBellis Perennis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMica
Cosmetic ColorantIsostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingNicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
BHT
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol Cocoate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Diacetyl Boldine
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingEthylcellulose
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polysilicone-11
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingSilica
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Cholate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine
Skin Conditioning
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Bellis Perennis Flower Extract, Mica, Isostearyl Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-2, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, 4-Butylresorcinol, Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Ascorbyl Palmitate, Azelaic Acid, BHT, Butylene Glycol Cocoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Citric Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Diacetyl Boldine, Dimethicone, Dipotassium Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Phosphate, Ethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Lecithin, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Parfum, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Polysilicone-11, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Phosphate, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Cholate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Tranexamic Acid, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 GlycerinPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene 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 Water
