What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientBrassica Glycerides
EmollientDiisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phytonadione Epoxide
AstringentPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Zerumbone
Skin ConditioningN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningDipeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Steareth-20
CleansingChrysin
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingRetinal
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Caffeine, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Brassica Glycerides, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Maltodextrin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Phytonadione Epoxide, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Zerumbone, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Dipeptide-2, Steareth-20, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Xanthan Gum, Retinal, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactose
HumectantC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
PEG-8
HumectantRetinol
Skin Conditioning
Dihydroxy Methylchromone
Antioxidant
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Propyl Gallate
Antioxidant
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Methyl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Lactose, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-8, Retinol, Dihydroxy Methylchromone, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Sorbitol, Stearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Propyl Gallate, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Methyl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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
