REN Clean Skincare Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream Versus The INKEY List C-50 Blemish Night Treatment
This acne treatment is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycogen
HumectantSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Sucrose
Humectant
Plankton Extract
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Arginine, Benzyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Glycogen, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Parfum, Sucrose, Plankton Extract, Lecithin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningNymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Propanediol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Salicylic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Madecassoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinSodium 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
