What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Tetraisopalmitate 4%
AntioxidantPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantSqualane
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningC12-13 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientGlycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningTranexamic Acid 1%
AstringentGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientNiacinamide 1%
SmoothingGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Glucoside
HumectantGlycine Soja Sterols
EmollientCopper Tripeptide-1 1%
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
EmollientSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPullulan
Phytic Acid
Lactic Acid
BufferingWater, Pentylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate 4%, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Trehalose, Squalane, Panthenol, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Phospholipids, Tranexamic Acid 1%, Glycine Soja Oil, Niacinamide 1%, Glycolipids, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glycine Soja Sterols, Copper Tripeptide-1 1%, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopherol, Beta-Sitosterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan, Phytic Acid, Lactic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide 3%
SmoothingAscorbyl Tetraisopalmitate 2%
AntioxidantTrifolium Pratense Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantFerulic Acid 1%
AntimicrobialResveratrol 0.5%
AntioxidantPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingTrifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantSodium Rna
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
BufferingSerine
MaskingAlanine
MaskingGlycine
BufferingGlutamic Acid
HumectantLidocaine Hcl
Threonine
Arginine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylic Acid/Ma Copolymer
Lecithin
EmollientDextran
Sodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentTetrasodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingSqualene
EmollientGlyceryl Linolenate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Niacinamide 3%, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate 2%, Trifolium Pratense Extract, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Ferulic Acid 1%, Resveratrol 0.5%, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Betaine, Sodium Rna, Sodium Lactate, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lidocaine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Sodium Acrylic Acid/Ma Copolymer, Lecithin, Dextran, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Tocopherol, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene, Glyceryl Linolenate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate is a version of ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C.
This ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
It helps with dark spot fading by interfering with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. Like other forms of vitamin C, this ingredient encourages the skin to create more collagen.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
One study found Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate to degrade in sunlight, but is stabilized when combined with acetyl zingerone.
Learn more about Ascorbyl TetraisopalmitateBeta-Sitosterol is a plant-derived fatty acid with a structure similar to cholesterol (which naturally occurs in skin). It helps hydrate the skin and stabilize formulations.
This ingredient can be naturally found in fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of phospholipids.
This ingredient has emollient and emulsifying properties.
As an emollient, lecithen helps soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.
As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can also help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin.
This is because the phospholipids in lecithin produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that feeds fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Some other names for this ingredient include soy lecithin and deoiled soy lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinNiacinamide 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 NiacinamideSodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol (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 Water