What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantPantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientMyristoyl Hexapeptide-16
Skin ConditioningMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin ConditioningBiotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingArginine Glutamate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientAngelica Archangelica Extract
Skin ConditioningTrifolium Pratense Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Pantothenic Acid, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Arginine, Arginine Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Angelica Archangelica Extract, Trifolium Pratense Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantLactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract
AntioxidantPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingUrea
BufferingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingBiotin
Antiseborrhoeic1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin ConditioningDextran
Sodium Metabisulfite
AntioxidantAcetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin ProtectingTrifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentGlycine
BufferingLarix Europaea Wood Extract
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Extract
AntioxidantZinc Chloride
AntimicrobialWater, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Polysorbate 20, Urea, Disodium Phosphate, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Biotin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Benzoic Acid, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Dextran, Sodium Metabisulfite, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Glycine, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Zinc Chloride
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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 AcidMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17 is a five amino peptide attached to myristic acid to help it absorb better into skin. It's mostly used for lash growth and as a delivery vehicle for other ingredients.
The myristic acid "tail" is basically a delivery upgrade that helps the peptide mix with your skin's natural oils so it can get where it needs to go.
In your eyelash follicles, it activates the keratin gene and promotes nutrient absorption into the follicle. This translates to thicker and longer eyelashes over time.
Besides stimulating keratin production for lash growth, this ingredient enhances the delivery of other active ingredients in a formula.
The clinical evidence is still pretty early-stage at this point. A 90 day study in 29 participants found improvements in lash length (10.52%), volume (9.3%), thickness (35%), and curl (50.83%) with no adverse reactions reported.
You might have heard that eyelash serums can cause pigmentation change in eye color to turn eyes brown. This is associated with a different class of lash serum ingredients: prostaglandin analogs.
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17 is a different thing entirely and has no known association with iris pigmentation changes. The 90 day study noted no adverse effects around the eye area at all.
Learn more about Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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