What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChondrus Crispus Powder
Abrasive
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phytic Acid
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Acetyl Glucosamine, Propylene Glycol, Kojic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glycerin, Cholesterol, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Alcohol, Citric Acid, Phytic 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.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhytic Acid is a gentle AHA and antioxidant. AHAs are chemical exfoliants that help remove dead skin cells. Phytic Acid has a slight and mild exfoliating effect.
The chemical makeup makes it classified as an AHA, much like lactic acid.
In some cases, it is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water, helping to stabilize the ingredients in a product.
An interesting fact about phytic acid is that it is considered an antinutrient. People do not have the enzyme needed to properly breakdown and digest phytic acid. When ingested, phytic acid binds to minerals and prevents them from being absorbed.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Phytic AcidPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
