What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientC13-16 Isoparaffin
Solvent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingLactic Acid
Buffering
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Urea
Buffering
Yeast Amino Acids
HumectantTrehalose
Humectant
Inositol
Humectant
Taurine
BufferingBetaine
Humectant
Glutathione
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Gold
Cosmetic ColorantMarrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningVerbascum Thapsus Extract
Skin ConditioningZanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningXymenynic Acid
EmollientTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningHexylresorcinol
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysilicone-11
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningPolyisobutene
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Surfactin
CleansingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether
Emulsifying
Sorbitol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Sulfate
Soy Protein Phthalate
EmollientGlutaral
Preservative
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Formaldehyde
Benzophenone-3
UV Absorber
Petrolatum
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycolic Acid, Dimethicone, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Diisopropyl Sebacate, C13-16 Isoparaffin, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Lactic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ascorbic Acid, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Glutathione, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Gold, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Verbascum Thapsus Extract, Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract, Xymenynic Acid, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Hexylresorcinol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Oleyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Triheptanoin, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Surfactin, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Sorbitol, Xanthan Gum, Decyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Sorbitan Isostearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tin Oxide, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Mica, CI 77891, Sodium Sulfate, Soy Protein Phthalate, Glutaral, Paraffinum Liquidum, Formaldehyde, Benzophenone-3, Petrolatum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:
Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.
One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.
While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.
The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.
Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.
Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol 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
