What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPoloxamer 124
EmulsifyingSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Juice
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, Poloxamer 124, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Niacinamide, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Juice, Citrus Limon Juice, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, BHT
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
C15-19 Alkane
SolventSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningCitrus Sinensis Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTrisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzethonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
CI 40800
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Isododecane, Glycerin, C15-19 Alkane, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Arginine Hcl, Citrus Sinensis Fruit Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Zea Mays Oil, Sodium Chloride, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Phenoxyethanol, Benzethonium Chloride, CI 40800
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 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.
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is the salt of ascorbic acid.
This ingredient is commonly used in skincare because it's more formulation-stable while still offering the same benefits as pure ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and oxygen whereas SAP has been shown to be more stable.
Studies show SAP has anti-acne and antioxidant benefits. One study found 5% of SAP lotion to be an effective ingredient for treating acne vulgaris. This is because research shows that SAP may help control acne by reducing acne-causing bacteria and slowing the oxidation of skin oils caused by UV exposure.
In addition to acne, vitamin C is important for skin structure. Lab studies suggest SAP may support collagen production in skin cells, making it a great ingredient in anti-aging routines.
Vitamin C has many benefits: it helps reduce redness, improve skin texture, fade the appearance of dark spots, and brighten the skin.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Sodium Ascorbyl PhosphateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideTrisodium EDTA is one of those quietly essential helper ingredients that most people have never heard of. You'll most likely spot it near the end of ingredient lists in almost every category of skincare.
So what does it actually do?
Its main job is chelation; this is a fancy word to say it grabs onto metal ions and neutralizes them. This is because even purified water in cosmetics contains trace amounts of metals that can cause big problems in a formula.
These trace metals can break down actives faster, cause discoloration, promote rancidity in oils, and make preservatives less effective. Trisodium EDTA binds to these metals and takes them out of the equation so your products can stay stable and effective for longer.
There's also an added bonus: by neutralizing the metals ions that bacteria need to thrive, this ingredient also acts as a preservative booster.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetic formulations. It is not considered an irritant, sensitizer, and is barely absorbed through the skin.
Learn more about Trisodium EDTAWater. 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
