What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Mannitol
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingWaltheria Indica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSalvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Seed Extract
Astringent
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder
Abrasive
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Tocotrienols
Skin Conditioning
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Matricaria Maritima Powder
Abrasive
Sodium Phytate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Tocotrienols, Ferulic Acid, Matricaria Maritima Powder, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ferulic Acid is a plant based antioxidant that can be naturally found in the cell walls of grains like rice, oats, and corn. It has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and has the ability to boost the performance of other antioxidants as well.
A well-known study found that adding Ferulic Acid to a solution of Vitamins C and E doubled the photoprotection of skin. This is why you'll often see it paired with Vitamin C or Vitamin E serums rather than sold on its own.
A 2025 review of 18 human studies found that using Ferulic Acid (0.5-1%) daily for one to three months showed improvements in:
As far as allergies go, Ferulic acid is generally well-tolerated but can cause an allergic reaction in very rare cases. It's also worth noting that Ferulic acid is often extracted from plant sources like rice bran or wheat bran, so be sure to path test if you have known grain allergies.
Outside of skincare, researchers are also looking into Ferulic Acid for its potential benefits in areas like diabetes, Alzheimer's, and heart health.
Learn more about Ferulic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is the salt of ascorbic acid.
This ingredient is commonly used in skincare because it's more formulation-stable while still offering the same benefits as pure ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and oxygen whereas SAP has been shown to be more stable.
Studies show SAP has anti-acne and antioxidant benefits. One study found 5% of SAP lotion to be an effective ingredient for treating acne vulgaris. This is because research shows that SAP may help control acne by reducing acne-causing bacteria and slowing the oxidation of skin oils caused by UV exposure.
In addition to acne, vitamin C is important for skin structure. Lab studies suggest SAP may support collagen production in skin cells, making it a great ingredient in anti-aging routines.
Vitamin C has many benefits: it helps reduce redness, improve skin texture, fade the appearance of dark spots, and brighten the skin.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Sodium Ascorbyl PhosphateWater. 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
