What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Arachidyl Alcohol
EmollientHelichrysum Stoechas Flower Extract
Perfuming
Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract
Antioxidant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Morus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrum
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Mica
Cosmetic Colorant
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Helichrysum Stoechas Flower Extract, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Coco-Caprylate, Arachidyl Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Mica, Titanium Dioxide
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Squalane
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
PEG-8 Beeswax
Emulsifying
PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer
EmollientGlycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Acetamidoethoxyethanol
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingJojoba Esters
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, PEG-8 Beeswax, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, Glycine Soja Sterols, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Acetamidoethoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Jojoba Esters, Glycolic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Chlorphenesin, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Saccharide Isomerate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil, Linalool, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin 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 GlycerinTetrahexyldecyl 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 AscorbateWater. 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
