What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Diglycerin
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Algin
Masking
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingEvodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide
MaskingPotassium Phosphate
BufferingPullulan
Serine
Masking
Trehalose
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Xylitol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Citrate
BufferingParfum
Masking
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Propanediol, Ethoxydiglycol, Pentylene Glycol, Diglycerin, Xylitylglucoside, Algin, Disodium Phosphate, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Potassium Phosphate, Pullulan, Serine, Trehalose, Anhydroxylitol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Urea, Xylitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Citrate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sucrose Dilaurate
Emollient
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Diglycerin, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Niacinamide, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Sucrose Dilaurate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Pisum Sativum Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 AcidCitric 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 AcidDiglycerin is a humectant. It is derived from glycerin, which is naturally found in your skin.
As a humectant, it helps draw moisture to the skin from the air.
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.
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 CitrateWater. 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
