What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Betaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Oil
Antimicrobial
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Betaine, Panthenol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Bakuchiol, Alpha-Arbutin, Ferulic Acid, Centella Asiatica Oil, Glycine Soja Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolSodium 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 Hyaluronate
