What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantHomosalate
Skin ConditioningIsoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate
UV AbsorberMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV FilterSilica
AbrasiveBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin ConditioningDiethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV AbsorberDibutyl Adipate
EmollientCaprylyl Methicone
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV FilterEthylhexyl Triazone
UV AbsorberCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantAlpha-Arbutin
AntioxidantTranexamic Acid
AstringentTocopherol
AntioxidantDecyl Glucoside
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether
StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantPhytic Acid
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Laurate
EmulsifyingWater, Butylene Glycol, Homosalate, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Silica, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Dibutyl Adipate, Caprylyl Methicone, Niacinamide, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, CI 77891, Alpha-Arbutin, Tranexamic Acid, Tocopherol, Decyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Tromethamine, Chlorphenesin, PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propylene Glycol, Phytic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Laurate
Water
Skin ConditioningButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV AbsorberCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCera Alba
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV FilterPEG-20 Stearate
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
SmoothingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeButylene Glycol
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMethylparaben
PreservativeAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantTriethanolamine
BufferingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingArctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAlumina
AbrasiveCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantMorus Alba Fruit Extract
Antioxidant3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Olivate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantZinc Oxide
Cosmetic ColorantAlpha-Arbutin
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSaururus Chinensis Leaf/Root Extract
AntimicrobialTaraxacum Officinale Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantFructose
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantStephania Tetrandra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPhosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientPortulaca Oleracea Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
AntioxidantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
MaskingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientWater, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cera Alba, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, PEG-20 Stearate, Niacinamide, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Allantoin, CI 77492, Triethanolamine, Decyl Glucoside, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Alumina, CI 77491, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propylene Glycol, Zinc Oxide, Alpha-Arbutin, Xanthan Gum, Saururus Chinensis Leaf/Root Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Leaf Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Fructose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract, Phosphatidylcholine, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alpha-Arbutin is made from hydroquinone and glucose. It may also be derived from the fermentation of soybeans.
This ingredient an antioxidant, meaning it helps protect your skin cells against damage.
Studies show this ingredient helps improve hyperpigmentation and fade discoloration.
Alpha-Arbutin may be used with other ingredients that help with hyperpigmentation. These ingredients include retinol, Vitamin C, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid.
Learn more about Alpha-ArbutinButylene 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 GlycolDecyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away. As an emulsion stabilizer, it stabilizes the ingredients in a product by preventing them from separating.
This ingredient is biodegradable and non-toxic. This ingredient is commonly found in baby shampoos.
Decyl Glucoside is sometimes used to stabilize the UV filter Tinosorb.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (Tinosorb M) is a hybrid and broad-spectrum UV ingredient. It is both a UV absorber and filter.
UV absorbers are an agent that absorbs UV rays. They protect your skin by using chemical reactions to convert UV rays into heat and energy. UV filters physically reduce the amount of UV rays from reaching your skin.
Tinosorb M covers a range of 280-400 nm and is photostable. This ingredient is neither oil or water soluble.
Tinosorb M is not available in the US. However, it is available in the EU and Asia.
It's sister, Tinosorb S, is set to be approved in the US by late 2025 (fingers crossed!).
Learn more about Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl TetramethylbutylphenolNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePhenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
As a cleansing agent, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate helps gather oils, dirts, and pollutants from your skin. This makes it easier to rinse them away with water.
Learn more about Potassium Cetyl PhosphatePropylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.
Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.
This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.
Those with sensitive skin or conditions may develop a rash when using this ingredient.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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. 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