This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Centella Asiatica Extract to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Hippophae Rhamnoides Water
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glutathione
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
BufferingHippophae Rhamnoides Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Phenyl Trimethicone, Methyl Trimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Trehalose, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Water, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Adenosine, Tranexamic Acid, Glutathione, Bisabolol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Gluconolactone, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tromethamine
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Triheptanoin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Fructooligosaccharides, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Centella Asiatica Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Parfum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
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 GlycerinWater. 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
