What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantTrisodium Ascorbyl Palmitate Phosphate
AntioxidantMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantAscorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
AntioxidantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantTripropylene Glycol
AntioxidantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingGlycine Soja Sterols
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingEtidronic Acid
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantifolia Oil
CleansingLemongrass Oil
Juniperus Communis Fruit Oil
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Ascorbic Acid, Trisodium Ascorbyl Palmitate Phosphate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Butylene Glycol, Tripropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glycine Soja Sterols, Ceramide NP, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Etidronic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Juniperus Communis Fruit Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantMyristyl 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate
AntioxidantAscorbylmethylcarbonyl Pentapeptide-72 Tri-T-Butyl Tryptophanamide
AntioxidantBakuchiol
AntimicrobialRetinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
AstringentPolygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
AntioxidantGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningGlycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantGlyceryl Glucoside
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantArachis Hypogaea Oil
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Myristyl 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate, Ascorbylmethylcarbonyl Pentapeptide-72 Tri-T-Butyl Tryptophanamide, Bakuchiol, Retinyl Palmitate, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Arachis Hypogaea Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric 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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePeg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil comes from hydrogenated castor oil. It is a solubilizer and emulsifier.
As a solubilizer, it helps dissolve ingredients into a water-based version. It is also an emulsifer. Emulsifier help prevent oils and water from separating. Both these properties help create evenly-spread and uniform products.
Basically, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil helps hold ingredients together.
Learn more about PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor OilSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum