What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Hydrolyzed Grape Fruit Extract
HumectantGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
PPG-6
Skin ConditioningDecyltetradeceth-30
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Methylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantPvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Hippophae Rhamnoides Water
Masking
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
BHA
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethyl Urea, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Water, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Arginine, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Parfum, Menthyl Lactate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Tocopherol, Ascorbic Acid, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, BHA, BHT
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 doesnât 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 wonât keep absorbing more once itâs full of vitamin C. This is why more isnât always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations donât 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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of âFRAGRANCEâ or âPARFUMâ according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
