What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSd Alcohol 40
Astringent
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane
Antioxidant
Glycolic Acid 0.1%
Buffering
Lactic Acid 0.1%
Buffering
Camphor
Masking
Azadirachta Indica Leaf Oil 0.15%
Masking
Cera Alba
Emollient
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Betula Alba Bark Extract
Masking
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sd Alcohol 40, Isopropyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Glycolic Acid 0.1%, Lactic Acid 0.1%, Camphor, Azadirachta Indica Leaf Oil 0.15%, Cera Alba, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Phytic Acid
Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-3 Cocoate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-6 Ricinoleate
Emulsifying
Galactoarabinan
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLinalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lactic Acid, Phytic Acid, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Polyglyceryl-6 Ricinoleate, Galactoarabinan, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Saccharide Isomerate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Salix Alba Bark Extract comes from the bark of the white willow tree. The official CosIng listing states this ingredient to have astringent, skin conditioning, soothing, and tonic properties.
Its star compound is salicin, a natural glucoside that is chemically related to salicylic acid. That's why you'll often see it marketed as a "natural BHA alternative" but that's a bit of a stretch.
Your skin can't convert salicin to salicylic acid because it needs specific enzymes that aren't present on the skin's surface. It won't behave like true salicylic acid, especially at the concentrations used in cosmetics.
However, this ingredient has its own perks. It contains flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins that give it proven antioxidant and soothing properties.
An 8-week clinical study found a cream with 2% of this extract improved skin microcirculation, elasticity, and dark circles. This is most likely due to its role in increasing hyaluronic acid synthesis in fibroblasts and improved vascular integrity.
Another study found a topical serum with 0.5% salicin showed improvements in visible signs of aging, hyperpigmentation, and texture.
Just be careful if you have a known aspirin/salicylate allergy and be sure to consult with a medical professional about using this ingredient if you do.
Fun fact: Willow Bark extract has been used for thousands of years and ancient civilizations used white willow to help treat pain and fevers.
Learn more about Salix Alba Bark ExtractWater. 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
