What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Ascorbic Acid

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Squalane

Emollient
1 / 0 Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Dipropylene Glycol

Humectant

Acetyl Glucosamine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Hordeum Vulgare Extract

Emollient

Morus Nigra Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Moisturising

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Skin Protecting
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Astringent
Helps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Humectant
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Algae Extract

Emollient

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Alcaligenes Polysaccharides

Emollient

Caffeine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Sucrose

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Lactis Proteinum

Skin Conditioning

Betaine

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Salicylic Acid

Masking
BHA IconPreservative IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Skin Texture IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Glycine Soja Protein

Emulsifying

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract

Skin Conditioning

Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane

Emollient

Propylene Glycol Dicaprate

Emollient

Helianthus Annuus Seedcake

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising
1 / 0

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Tromethamine

Buffering

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

PEG-8

Humectant

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Citrate

Buffering

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Glycine Soja Oil

Emollient
3 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer

Silicon IconGood for Oily Skin Icon

Methyl Trimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Polysilicone-11

Silicon IconGood for Oily Skin Icon

Methyl Gluceth-20

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Retinol

Skin Conditioning
Retinoid IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract

Astringent

Laminaria Saccharina Extract

Skin Protecting

Gelidiella Acerosa Extract

Skin Protecting

Cholesterol

Emollient
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Salvia Sclarea Extract

Antiseborrhoeic

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Plankton Extract

Skin Conditioning

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Micrococcus Lysate

Skin Conditioning

Hypnea Musciformis Extract

Skin Protecting

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Calcium Chloride

Astringent

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

BHT

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

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What people say
Works Well 61% Hydrating 58% Expensive 44%
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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Antioxidant, Buffering, Masking

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 Acid
BHT
Antioxidant, Masking

BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.

As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.

As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.

The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.

However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.

Learn more about BHT
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin (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 Glycerin
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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

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