What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Pectin
Emulsion StabilisingSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Annona Muricata Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Water, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tranexamic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Distarch Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Propanediol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Pectin, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Acer Saccharum Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Annona Muricata Bark Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Lactate, Glucose, Sodium Hydroxide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Diisooctyl Succinate
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Diisooctyl Succinate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Carnosine, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide As, Phytosterols, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol
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 GlycerinTetrahexyldecyl 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 Water
