What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenylpropanol
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Morus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Stearic Acid, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenylpropanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
PEG-8 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
PEG-8 Ricinoleate
SurfactantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingTetrasodium EDTA
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Butylparaben
Masking
Propylparaben
Preservative
Isobutylparaben
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycolic Acid, Arginine, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-8 Dimethicone, PEG-8 Ricinoleate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Dimethicone, Steareth-2, Tetrasodium EDTA, Bisabolol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Glucoside is a stable form of Vitamin C. It is created by combining glucose from starch.
When applied to skin, Ascorbyl Glucoside turns into Ascorbic Acid.
Ascorbyl Glucoside is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may damage skin cells.
It can help to reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, reduce the visibility of dark spots, and brighten skin.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Ascorbyl GlucosideCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 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 HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
