What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPhloretin
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Glutathione
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Tocotrienols
Skin Conditioning
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lycopene
Antioxidant
Xanthophylls
Skin ConditioningBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningSuperoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Phloretin, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ferulic Acid, Glutathione, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, Glycerin, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Astaxanthin, Tocotrienols, Thioctic Acid, Tocopherol, Lycopene, Xanthophylls, Beta-Carotene, Superoxide Dismutase
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Alpinia Katsumadai Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Citrus Grandis Leaf Extract
Astringent
Serine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Polyglyceryl-3 Decyltetradecyl Ether
EmulsifyingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Ascorbic Acid, Pyridoxine Hcl, Allantoin, O-Cymen-5-Ol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, Alpinia Katsumadai Seed Extract, Citrus Limon Leaf Extract, Citrus Grandis Leaf Extract, Serine, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Isopentyldiol, Propylene Glycol, PEG-8, Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Decyltetradecyl Ether, Sodium Metabisulfite, EDTA, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidThis ingredient is also called ethanol or ethyl alcohol. It is denatured, meaning made undrinkable for cosmetic use.
In formulas, it:
Is it bad for your skin?
The answer comes down to concentration. Patch and wash studies have found highly concentrated alcohol-based hand rubs (60-100%) cause less barrier disruption than washing with a basic detergent like SLS. The only measurable effect in these studies was a temporary dip in skin hydration.
Concentrations below 12-15% in leave-on cosmetics is generally well-tolerated. Concentrations above start to see increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and reduced hydration.
In concentrations about 58%, it creates temporary channels in your skin's lipid layers to become more permeable and allow other ingredients to slip through easily.
This ingredient can be up to 80% of the formula in alcohol-based perfumes.
Overall, this ingredient is probably harmless if found lower down an ingredients list but worth side-eyeing if it's high up (especially if your barrier is already struggling).
Alcohol can worsen dry skin, eczema, and oily skin, especially at higher concentrations. This is because it can increase transepidermal water loss and decrease hydration to disrupt the skin barrier.
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
True allergic contact dermatitis to ethanol is uncommon, but be sure to patch test if you have dry or sensitive skin.
Learn more about AlcoholButylene 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 GlycolPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about Tocopherol
