What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingTranexamic Acid
AstringentDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingSalicylic Acid
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
MaskingDMDM Hydantoin
PreservativeAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid
Skin ConditioningCitrus Junos Seed Extract
AntioxidantCitrus Unshiu Peel Extract
MaskingActinidia Chinensis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningFragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Skin Extract
AntioxidantGarcinia Mangostana Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Tranexamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Salicylic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, DMDM Hydantoin, Allantoin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium EDTA, 10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid, Citrus Junos Seed Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Seed Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Skin Extract, Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract, Parfum
Tranexamic Acid
AstringentWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantSaccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningCoix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Benzoate
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSqualane
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTranexamic Acid, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Disodium EDTA, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilTranexamic Acid (TXA) is a synthetic lysine derivative that is becoming one of the most exciting brightening ingredients in skincare.
Originally used in medicine as an anti-hemorrhagic agent, its skin brightening potential was discovered by accident; patients taking it orally started noticing their melasma was fading.
Unlike most brighteners that target tyrosinase (the enzyme that synthesizes melanin), TXA works further upstream. It basically blocks your cells from receiving the signal to produce pigment.
This makes it one of the rare actives that works on three pathways at once:
This makes it effective for treating melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and sun-induced dark spots.
The most effective cosmetic concentration sits between 2-5% and going higher doesn't boost results.
Side effects are generally mild; occasional irritation, flaking, or dryness have been reported at the start of use. Overall, this ingredient is pretty well tolerated, even by sensitive skin types.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it does not cause photosensitivity, so it's safe to use in the AM and PM.
Learn more about Tranexamic AcidWater. 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