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 is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
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 white willow tree, which is native to Europe and Central Asia.
Salix Alba Bark Extract has often been described as salicylic acid's cousin. This is due to the salicin it contains. However, studies are limited showing salix alba bark to be an effective salicylic acid alternative.
Salicin does have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has shown to decrease the formation of inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and nuclear factor-kappa B. Salicin also has a mildly exfoliating effect on the skin.
Several other components in salix alba bark extract also contain antioxidant properties, such as flavonoids and polyphenols. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging as they neutralize harmful free-radical molecules.
Willow Bark extract has been used for thousands of years. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
