This brightening emulsion is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCoix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningGentiana Lutea Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Inula Britannica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMelothria Heterophylla Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingPolyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Rapeseed Glycerides
EmulsifyingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingPEG-8
HumectantPolyacrylamide
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate
CleansingSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Squalane, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Inula Britannica Flower Extract, Melothria Heterophylla Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Cellulose Gum, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Phosphate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Glycerides, Laureth-7, PEG-8, Polyacrylamide, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Sorbitan Stearate, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingMyristyl Myristate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Dimethicone, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Myristyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Ceramide NP, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HydroxideSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
