What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Myosotis Sylvatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPropanediol
Solvent
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Myosotis Sylvatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Propanediol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Metabisulfite, T-Butyl Alcohol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Citrate
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
CI 75120
Cosmetic ColorantWater, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Methyl Gluceth-20, Propanediol, Sodium Citrate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Polysorbate 20, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Limonene, CI 75120
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric 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 GlycerinPolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium metabisulfite is also known as Sodium Pyrosulfite. It is a preservative, antioxidant, and disinfectant.
As a preservative, it helps stabilize cosmetic formulas without affecting their color or scent.
Water. 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
