What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Hibiscus Abelmoschus Extract
MaskingParfum
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
HumectantHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningMethylparaben
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylparaben
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Morus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Water, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Gluconolactone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, Hibiscus Abelmoschus Extract, Parfum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinyl Palmitate, Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbitan Laurate, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Methylparaben, Carbomer, Ethylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Dipropylene Glycol, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl 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 GlycolCarbomer 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 CarbomerGlycerin (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.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium 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
