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
Emollient
Helichrysum 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 ColorantTitanium 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 Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSqualane
Emollient
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Passiflora Edulis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Ilex Guayusa Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingIlex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Pullulan
Mannitol
Humectant
Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantSilica
Abrasive
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Squalane, Triethyl Citrate, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Benzoate, Lauroyl Lysine, Passiflora Edulis Fruit Extract, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Ilex Guayusa Leaf Extract, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Pullulan, Mannitol, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Calcium Gluconate, Silica, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ergothioneine
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTetrahexyldecyl 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
