What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Leucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment
Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSucrose Stearate
EmollientLecithin
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Ascorbic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Ceramide NP, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Hexapeptide-11, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sucrose Stearate, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Citrate, Carbomer, Citric Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactobacillus Ferment, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, CI 77491
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Betaine
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Magnesium Sulfate
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingOleic Acid
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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 AcidDicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol 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 PropanediolWater. 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
