What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingDextran
Darutoside
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Dextran, Darutoside, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Maltodextrin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Polysilicone-11
PCA Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBoron Nitride
Absorbent
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTromethamine
BufferingDimethiconol
Emollient
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Arginine
Masking
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Caffeine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Squalane, Polysorbate 20, Polysilicone-11, PCA Dimethicone, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Carbomer, Boron Nitride, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, CI 77891, Tromethamine, Dimethiconol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Arginine, Cyclodextrin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tin Oxide, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCitric 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 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 GlycerinMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinSodium 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
