What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-32
HumectantFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Thiamine Hcl
MaskingRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantNiacin
SmoothingCarnitine Hcl
HumectantPantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantPvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Potassium Hydroxide, PEG-32, Ferulic Acid, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate, Thiamine Hcl, Riboflavin, Niacin, Carnitine Hcl, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Folic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Panthenol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
Humectant3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pullulan
Silica
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethoxydiglycol is a synthetic solvent.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Ethoxydiglycol also helps deliver other key ingredients into the skin.
Learn more about EthoxydiglycolFerulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant that can be naturally found in the cell walls of grains like rice, oats, and corn. It has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and has the ability to boost the performance of other antioxidants as well.
A well-known study found that adding Ferulic Acid to a solution of Vitamins C and E doubled the photoprotection of skin. This is why you'll often see it paired with Vitamin C or Vitamin E serums rather than sold on its own.
A 2025 review of 18 human studies found that using Ferulic Acid (0.5-1%) daily for one to three months showed improvements in:
As far as allergies go, Ferulic acid is generally well-tolerated but can cause an allergic reaction in very rare cases. It's also worth noting that Ferulic acid is often extracted from plant sources like rice bran or wheat bran, so be sure to path test if you have known grain allergies.
Outside of skincare, researchers are also looking into Ferulic Acid for its potential benefits in areas like diabetes, Alzheimer's, and heart health.
Learn more about Ferulic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
