What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingMethylparaben
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Methyl Benzoate
Perfuming
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Methylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylparaben, Methyl Benzoate, Ascorbic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Algin
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin
Glycol/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Abrasive
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Vitis Vinifera Juice
Antioxidant
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
Emollient
Bisabolol
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract
SmoothingTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Beta-Glucan, Algin, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin, Glycol/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Arginine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Vitis Vinifera Juice, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C. This form makes up the largest amount of vitamin C found naturally in our skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, it also has plenty of benefits on your skin.
Vitamin C is best used for brightening skin. It improves dark spots, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation. This is because it blocks the process of skin darkening when exposed to UV.
Remember: Vitamin C should not replace sunscreen!
Your skin uses vitamin C to build collagen. Collagen is one key component in having a strong skin barrier and plump skin. Vitamin C also plays a role in regulating collagen, thus making it effective in improving wrinkles and fine lines.
Ascorbic acid shows potent antioxidant activity. As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. These antioxidants also protect skin against UV damage.
The best formulations include Vitamin E and/or ferulic acid. These two ingredients help stabilize and provide a boost in the benefits of ascorbic acid. This is because ascorbic acid becomes unstable when exposed to UV and air. In fact, you can tell your ascorbic acid has oxidized when it turns an orange-yellow color.
Ascorbic acid is generally compatible with other ingredients. However, using ascorbic acid with other active ingredients might cause irritation. Two ingredients: copper ions and benzoyl peroxide, will inactivate ascorbic acid completely.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidGluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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. 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
