What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Tetrasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Naringeninchalcone
Skin ConditioningPolylysine
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingParfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Saccharide Isomerate, Tranexamic Acid, Zinc PCA, Tetrasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Naringeninchalcone, Polylysine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventTranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Capparis Spinosa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyacrylic Acid
Emulsion StabilisingBis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate
EmollientEctoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24
EmulsifyingMethyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Thiotaurine
Antioxidant
Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingCholesterol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Methylpropanediol, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Capparis Spinosa Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyacrylic Acid, Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate, Ectoin, Hydroxyacetophenone, PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Thiotaurine, Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Beta-Glucan, Ceramide NP, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Cholesterol, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneTranexamic 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
