What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Azelaic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Butylene Glycol, Bisabolol, Sclerotium Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Allantoin, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Adenosine, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Gallyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Propyl Gallate
Antioxidant
Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Cell Culture Lysate
Skin ConditioningGossypium Herbaceum Callus Culture
Skin ConditioningSphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sucrose Distearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Triethanolamine
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Azelaic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Carnosine, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Gallyl Glucoside, Propyl Gallate, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Cell Culture Lysate, Gossypium Herbaceum Callus Culture, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sucrose Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric 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.
Azelaic acid is a multitasker ingredient that helps treat acne, pigmentation, and irritation. It is a great option for sensitive skin.
What makes it special?
OTC Azelaic acid is usually available in concentrations from 10-15% and anything over requires a prescription.
Here's what each tier does best:
Unlike other acids, azelaic acid will not make your skin more photosensitive/sun sensitive.
Though this ingredient is naturally occurring in grains like wheat, rye, and barley, it is usually synthetically created for cosmetics to ensure stability and effectiveness.
Learn more about Azelaic AcidCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
