What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSteareth-20
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSiloxanetriol Alginate
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningChlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSodium Citrate
BufferingPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Chrysin
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicWater, Butylene Glycol, Tranexamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glycerin, Caffeine, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Citric Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Steareth-20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Siloxanetriol Alginate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Levulinate, Glutathione, Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Caprylate, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Citrate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Potassium Sorbate, Biotin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeinePhenoxyethanol 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.
This is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium GluconateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTranexamic Acid (TXA) is a synthetic lysine derivative that is becoming one of the most exciting brightening ingredients in skincare.
Originally used in medicine as an anti-hemorrhagic agent, its skin brightening potential was discovered by accident; patients taking it orally started noticing their melasma was fading.
Unlike most brighteners that target tyrosinase (the enzyme that synthesizes melanin), TXA works further upstream. It basically blocks your cells from receiving the signal to produce pigment.
This makes it one of the rare actives that works on three pathways at once:
This makes it effective for treating melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and sun-induced dark spots.
The most effective cosmetic concentration sits between 2-5% and going higher doesn't boost results.
Side effects are generally mild; occasional irritation, flaking, or dryness have been reported at the start of use. Overall, this ingredient is pretty well tolerated, even by sensitive skin types.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it does not cause photosensitivity, so it's safe to use in the AM and PM.
Learn more about Tranexamic AcidWater. 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
