What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Lemon Peel Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTranexamic Acid
Astringent
Tranexamoyl Dipeptide-22
Bleaching
Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-22
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Triethanolamine, Ferulic Acid, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lactobacillus/Lemon Peel Ferment Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tranexamic Acid, Tranexamoyl Dipeptide-22, Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-22, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Bisulfite
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tranexamic 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
