What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Rosa Damascena Flower Extract
Masking
Decyl Glucoside
CleansingHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycolic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanol, Glycerin, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arginine, Tocopherol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Hippophae Rhamnoides Water
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningMethyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Methyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingPolyglycerin-3
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCymbopogon Martini Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Nardus Oil
Masking
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Mentha Viridis Extract
MaskingLactobacillus/Lemon Peel Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningGeraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Coptis Japonica Extract
AntimicrobialCucumis Melo Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLitsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Extract
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Glucose
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Linalool
Perfuming
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Hesperidin
EmollientPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10
Skin Conditioning
Hippophae Rhamnoides Water, Water, Methyl Gluceth-20, Methylpropanediol, Niacinamide, Glycereth-26, Methyl Gluceth-10, Polyglycerin-3, 1,2-Hexanediol, Gluconolactone, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Cymbopogon Nardus Oil, Adenosine, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Mentha Viridis Extract, Lactobacillus/Lemon Peel Ferment Extract, Geraniol, Citronellol, Coptis Japonica Extract, Cucumis Melo Seed Extract, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Extract, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactic Acid, Glucose, Beta-Glucan, Linalool, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Cetyl Palmitate, Ubiquinone, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Stearate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Ergothioneine, Hesperidin, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
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 GlycerinLactic 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 AcidTocopherol (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 skinâs 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
