REN Clean Skincare Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream Versus La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Lauryl Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tapioca Starch
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Mannitol
Humectant
Faex Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil
Astringent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil
Masking
Diglucosyl Gallic Acid
Glycogen
HumectantMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Ammonium Bicarbonate
BufferingGlucose
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Lauryl Laurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tapioca Starch, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Mannitol, Faex Extract, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Parfum, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil, Tocopherol, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Glycogen, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ammonium Bicarbonate, Glucose, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingMyristyl Myristate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Dimethicone, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Myristyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Ceramide NP, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, 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.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
