What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Azelamide Mea
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Water, Azelaic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Disodium Phosphate, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Maltodextrin, Azelamide Mea, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Beta-Glucan, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric/Succinic Triglyceride
EmollientAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
C18-20 Glycol Isostearate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Vesicles
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric/Succinic Triglyceride, Azelaic Acid, Sorbitan Laurate, C18-20 Glycol Isostearate, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycol Distearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Arginine, Bisabolol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Vesicles, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Azelaic acid is a multitasker ingredient that helps treat acne, pigmentation, and irritation. It is a great option for sensitive skin.
What makes it special?
OTC Azelaic acid is usually available in concentrations from 10-15% and anything over requires a prescription.
Here's what each tier does best:
Unlike other acids, azelaic acid will not make your skin more photosensitive/sun sensitive.
Though this ingredient is naturally occurring in grains like wheat, rye, and barley, it is usually synthetically created for cosmetics to ensure stability and effectiveness.
Learn more about Azelaic AcidButylene 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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolTocopherol 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 TocopherolWater. 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
