What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer
EmollientCorn Starch Modified
AbsorbentCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Triethanolamine
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, Corn Starch Modified, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Squalane, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Triethanolamine, Butylene Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Isododecane
EmollientOctocrylene
UV Absorber
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acrylamide/Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer
Parfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyisobutene
Dimethicone
Emollient
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citral
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Isododecane, Octocrylene, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Caprylyl Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylamide/Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Sorbic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Linalool, Limonene, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Potassium Sorbate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sorbic Acid is a preservative. It is the most commonly used food preservative in the world.
Sorbic Acid is a natural antibiotic and highly effective at preventing the growth of fungus. It is less effective against bacteria.
Potassium Sorbate, another commonly-used preservative, is the potassium salt of Sorbic Acid.
Sorbic Acid may worsen eczema. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
Learn more about Sorbic AcidTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.
THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).
Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.
Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.
Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.
A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).
While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.
THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Tetrahexyldecyl AscorbateWater. 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
