What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ascorbyl Palmitate Phosphate
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tripropylene Glycol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEtidronic Acid
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Lemongrass Oil
Cinnamomum Cassia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Trisodium Ascorbyl Palmitate Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, 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, Cinnamomum Cassia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Arachis Hypogaea Oil
Skin Conditioning
PEG-2 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingDiphenyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Honey
Humectant
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 61
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Malic Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Isopentyldiol, Butylene Glycol, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Isostearic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Water, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Arachis Hypogaea Oil, PEG-2 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Triethylhexanoin, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Honey, Soluble Collagen, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Polysorbate 61, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite, Malic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Xanthan Gum
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 LecithinSodium 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
