What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Propanediol
Solvent
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Thermus Thermophillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Lecithin
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Propanediol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Phospholipids, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Zinc Oxide, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Caprylyl Methicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Benzophenone-3
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Thymus Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Melanin
Skin Protecting3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Preservatives
Essential Oil Blend
Water, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Trehalose, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Benzophenone-3, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Thymus Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Melanin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, CI 77492, Allantoin, Preservatives, Essential Oil Blend
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is one of the most popular "stable" vitamin C derivatives in skincare.
Plain ascorbic acid is fantastic but notoriously fragile; it browns, oxidizes, and loses potency fast. So attaching an ethyl group to the third carbon of the molecule gives it some cool perks:
In a formula, it does the 3 classic vitamin C jobs: it acts as an antioxidant, helps brighten skin tone by inhibiting tyrosinase, and supports collagen.
The evidence is reasonably solid for a cosmetic ingredient; Liao and colleagues (2018) showed it's significantly more stable than ascorbic acid while still being effective.
A 2021 study by Zerbinati and colleagues tested a serum with 30% 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid and 1% lactic acid significantly increased collagen production, reduced UVB-induced DNA damage, and decreased melanin on a reconstructed pigmented skin model.
Typical real world usage sits around 0.5-5% (and 1-2% is common for daily serums).
Amounts up to 30% have been shown to be non-irritating on human skin samples, but two isolated cases reported allergic contact dermatitis so a patch test is sensible if you have reactive skin.
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic 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 GlycerinPhospholipids are a family of skin-identical lipids that makeup the structural backbone of every cell membrane in your body.
In cosmetics, they function as skin conditioning agents with emulsifier and surfactant properties. They're typically sourced from soybean or sunflower lecithin (or sometimes egg yolk or marine sources).
Because they mirror the lipids naturally found in the deeper layers of your skin, topical phospholipids help reinforce the lipid matrix, reduce transepidermal water loss, and leave skin feeling conditioned.
They're also used to form liposomes, or tiny self-assembling vesible used to stabilize actives like vitamin c or retinol. This helps these ingredients integrate into the upper layers of skin more easily.
Phospholipids are compatible with everything and the CIR Expert Panel has concluded them to be safe at current use levels.
Some types of phospholipids include:
Learn more about PhospholipidsSodium 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
