What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
C9-12 Alkane
SolventAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lysine Carboxymethyl Cysteinate
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glutathione
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Phytate
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Urea
Buffering
Mannitol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Trehalose
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Glucose
Humectant
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Triacetin
AntimicrobialSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, C9-12 Alkane, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Silica, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Lysine Carboxymethyl Cysteinate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Tocopherol, Glutathione, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Urea, Mannitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium PCA, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trehalose, Ascorbic Acid, Glucose, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Ergothioneine, Triacetin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
C13-15 Alkane
SolventCocoglycerides
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates Crosspolymer
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-4 Oleate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Malic Acid
Buffering
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientSodium Benzoate
Masking
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantWater, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, C13-15 Alkane, Cocoglycerides, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Acrylates Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Cetearyl Olivate, Alpha-Arbutin, Citric Acid, Ferulic Acid, Sodium PCA, Tocopherol, Malic Acid, Gluconolactone, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Sorbitan Olivate, Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Sodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCATetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.
THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).
Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.
Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.
Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.
A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).
While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.
THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Tetrahexyldecyl AscorbateTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
