What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentMannitol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Tranexamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Zea Mays Starch, Xanthan Gum, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Mannitol, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Madecassoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Pectin
Emulsion StabilisingSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Annona Muricata Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Water, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tranexamic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Distarch Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Propanediol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Pectin, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Acer Saccharum Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Annona Muricata Bark Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Lactate, Glucose, Sodium Hydroxide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolGlucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.
Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.
It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.
Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.
Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.
In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.
Learn more about GlucoseGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseTranexamic 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
