What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
Emulsifying4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Disodium EDTA
BHA
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Ethoxydiglycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, 4-Butylresorcinol, Alpha-Arbutin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, BHA, BHT, Methylisothiazolinone, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyphenoxy Propionic Acid
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Calendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Poloxamer 407
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Water, Propylene Glycol, Azelaic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, 4-Butylresorcinol, Hydroxyphenoxy Propionic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hydroxide, Ferulic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Tocopherol, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Disodium EDTA, Poloxamer 407, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as rucinol. It's an antioxidant and one of the best-studied tyrosinase inhibitors (skin brightener) in cosmetic chemistry.
This ingredient works in a few complimentary ways:
In head-to-head biochemical assays, it outperformed kojic acid, arbutin, and even hydroquinone at slowing melanin production.
Clinically, 0.1% has shown to improve melasma visibly after just 4 weeks. Another liposome-encapsulated version performed similarly well and an Indian study on 0.3% showed significant melasma reduction over 8 weeks with no adverse events reported.
This ingredient is generally well-tolerated. A very small amount of people have experienced mild dryness or peeling at a higher concentration (0.3%).
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient is sensitive to air. Good formulations should account for this to keep your rucinol effective.
Be sure to also check out Thiamidol, another "hydroquinone alternative".
Learn more about 4-ButylresorcinolThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthoxydiglycol is a synthetic solvent.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Ethoxydiglycol also helps deliver other key ingredients into the skin.
Learn more about EthoxydiglycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
