What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera
MaskingVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Lecithin
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Triethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Vitis Vinifera, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Ferulic Acid, Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Maltodextrin, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol
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.
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 GlycerinSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
