What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Resveratrol Dimethyl Ether
Antioxidant
Quercetin
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Morus Alba Root Extract
Bleaching3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingBHT
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Cholate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Citronellyl Methylcrotonate
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Propanediol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Resveratrol Dimethyl Ether, Quercetin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Morus Alba Root Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Lecithin, Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, BHT, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Cholate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Citronellyl Methylcrotonate, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, CI 15985
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polymethyl Acrylate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose Palmitate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oleosomes
EmollientSesamum Indicum Seed
Abrasive
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Salicornia Herbacea Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingMagnesium Sulfate
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Histidine Hcl
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningTryptophan
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Serine
Masking
Cystine
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Asparagine
MaskingNicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Methionine
Skin ConditioningTaurine
BufferingHydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningGlucosamine Hcl
Retinyl Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Inositol
Humectant
Niacin
SmoothingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Palmitate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Polymethyl Acrylate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sucrose Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Chlorphenesin, Sorbitan Oleate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oleosomes, Sesamum Indicum Seed, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sorbitan Laurate, Levulinic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Magnesium Sulfate, Glutamine, Tocopherol, Lysine Hcl, Arginine Hcl, Alanine, Histidine Hcl, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Polysorbate 80, Serine, Cystine, Cyanocobalamin, Glutathione, Asparagine, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Proline, Methionine, Taurine, Hydroxyproline, Glucosamine Hcl, Retinyl Acetate, Inositol, Niacin, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hcl, Biotin, Riboflavin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerGlycerin (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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium 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 HydroxideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about Tocopherol
